New Beginnings
by phantomofthepantages
Summary: After Edward leaves, Bella must see a therapist. But what happens when she makes Bella a promise - a new life free of pain, of heartbreak. One where she can be anything or anyone. Where she's wanted. And what happens when Edward shows up in her new life?
1. Rock Bottom

Hi all! So just so you know, the first few chapters will start out pre-Twilight while the Cullens are living with Tanya and the Denali Clan up in Alaska. After that, it will transition to New Moon after Edward leaves Bella. Hope you enjoy! :)

The Cullens sighed collectively as they heard the front door slam closed for the third time that week. It was a telltale sign - Edward was having a particularly hard time coping with his thoughts. Ever since he had become a vampire, all Edward could see when he looked into the mirror was a monster. In the first few years of his new life, he had rebelled against this image, doing everything in his power to change. His constant thirst for human blood disgusted him, and for days at a time, he would lock himself away from the rest of the world, wondering why he couldn't have just died. This animal he had become had no place in the world.

Then he turned to tracking down the dregs of society. With his ability to read minds, he would hunt down the rapist, the serial killer and the kidnapper one by one. He wanted to believe that ridding the world of the damned would save his own black soul. He wanted to believe that though he was a vampire, he could be _good._ But then he realized that these criminals he murdered weren't the ones who were damned. They could all be forgiven for their crimes. Edward, however, could not.

That is when he chose to follow Carlisle's lifestyle. He gave up on trying to fix himself and instead looked up to Carlisle's gift of healing others. Carlisle was the one dash of hope in the cursed world that Edward now lived in. He was humbled by the immense amount of virtue that this fatherly figure possessed. Even knowing that his soul was condemned to the fiery pits of Hell, Carlisle's only goal was to help others. Any other man would have said 'screw it,' throwing every moral lesson out the window and enjoying life to the fullest, corruption and all. But Carlisle was genuinely a good-hearted person. He didn't help others for the sake of looking good to the big guy upstairs. Nor did he treat others with kindness in the hopes that everyone would someday sing his praises. No, he simply found pleasure in his philanthropy. And so Edward looked to this single prick of light; this lone, shining star. Vampire or not, if Heaven existed, Carlisle would be the first to go.

Yet even with his firm belief that there was still hope, Edward could never stop seeing himself as a wretched abomination. Even on his happiest days, a small voice inside his head relentlessly tried to ruin his joy. And more often than not, it worked. But it was worse still on his bad days. On days like this, the tiny voice became a thundering roar, and all Edward could focus on was the stream of self-directed curses that filled his head.

That's the kind of day it was when Edward stalked out of the house, directly into the secluded, white woods. He trudged deeper and deeper into the forest until he reached the same spot he always retreated to when he felt he had hit a new low. It was just the sanctuary he needed. Delicate flakes of snow drifted quietly to the ground, and even with his sharp hearing, not a sound could be heard echoing through the clearing, for this part of the forest was completely uninhabited. And that's just the way he liked it – invitingly beautiful, but barren and empty, like the shell of a man he was. He sat unnaturally still, his eyes staring blankly out at the expanse of Alaskan forest before him as he sulked.


	2. Making Bets

Emmett sat in his room, eyes trained on the television. He watched as players kicked a ball back and forth to one another. The red team made it all the way to the other side's goal, but just as they were about to score, a yellow defender kicked the ball back up to the offense. At the same time, the door burst open, but Emmett didn't look up to see who it was. His gaze remained on the players, who were now making their way up to the red team's goal. He continued to ignore the visitor as they sat on the couch and kicked their legs up on the table. Finally, Emmett sighed and turned off the television as the game ended.

"Do you need something?" He crossed his arms and leaned back against the couch, turning to his friend. He wasn't in the mood for a chat.

"Hah, no. I already have all of my _needs_ taken care of," the man winked suggestively. Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Then is there some other reason you're here?"

The man, Cole, was a new member of the Denali clan. He was older than most of the members, having been changed sometime in the 1800s. And yet with him, the saying 'the older, the wiser' just didn't hold true. He hadn't even known other vampires existed until stumbling upon Tanya a few years back, and even then, he didn't believe he was a real vampire. Like Carlisle, he had never tasted human blood. But unlike Carlisle, it wasn't because of his compassion. He had simply thought that he had a particularly severe case of a sore throat, which just so happened to worsen whenever he was around humans. He continued to eat normal food, and when he realized that everything he ate tasted like garbage, he passed it off as just the illness again. _Because illnesses kill off taste buds all the time_. And when after ten years he still didn't look a day older than nineteen, he proclaimed he had discovered the Fountain of Youth and traveled throughout the country as a young con artist, swindling money from the naïve with murky swamp water. But even to this day, Cole denied ever deceiving anyone. Because in his mind, the Fountain of Youth was _real._ Yep, Cole was certainly quite the character. He was the most bizarre, illogical man Emmett had ever known, and absolutely clueless to say the least. Yet he was always the one people turned to when they were looking for a good time.

"Nah. Just bored."

"And you can't be bored somewhere else?" Emmett asked, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Your brother has been quite a bit moodier than usual lately, hasn't he?" Emmett wasn't surprised by the sudden shift in conversation. Cole could never come straight out with what was on his mind. He insisted on beating around the bush, sometimes for an hour or two before he would finally get to the point. And why not? The last thing vampires were lacking in was time.

Emmett nodded in agreement, curious about where he was going with this.

"Why do you think that is?"

Emmett shrugged. "Esme always goes on and on about how he needs to find himself a girl. But I don't know…He's already rejected Tanya. And man, Tanya's _hot_."

"She's alright," Cole said, deep in thought for a moment. But then his characteristic sly grin reappeared on his face. "But I mean, I've had my share of women, if you know what I'm saying. And I think Edward could probably find better."

Emmett snorted. "Dude, what are you even _talking_ about? What women? You don't even have a girl right now."

"Nope. Even better, I've got myself a doll," Cole said triumphantly.

"Ok, wow…That is…not exactly something to be proud of, Cole. You couldn't at least find yourself a decent human?"

"No, no! Not a blowup! A _human_ doll."

"Yeah, that's great Cole. I would expect at least that much from you. If I saw you getting it on with blowup dogs, then I would be scared."

"You're not listening. Ever heard of Rossum Corporation?"

"That drug company? Yeah, I've heard of it. But is this going anywhere, because I don't really have time for-"

"Just listen, alright? Rossum is a drug company, yes, but it also funds all kinds of research, and they've got one project going on right now called the Dollhouse. They take normal people, erase their brains and BAM! They can turn them into whoever you want them to be," Cole grinned. "I've been getting dolls from there every weekend. And man, it's incredible! Last time, this insanely hot schoolteacher with a smoking body showed up at my door and gave me a private _tutoring_ session. And this weekend, I'm asking for a cute little waitress with a sexy southern drawl. Dude, they can make me my dream girl!"

It was true, Emmett had always known Cole was a bit strange. But now…"Cole, you're a sick man," he laughed, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"What! You don't believe me, do you?" Cole muttered, frustrated at Emmett's lack of enthusiasm.

"No, I do. I woke up one morning to find that I was a vampire. How could anything be too ridiculous for me to believe? Nah, you're just sick."

"How am I sick!" Cole protested.

"Dude, you're sleeping around with what essentially amounts to a robot. How does that not seem even the tiniest bit perverted to you?"

"Yeah, well, say what you want. You're missing out. While I'm living it up with some sweet little sorority girls, you can just sit up here all day watching men in short shorts kick around balls. But I'm not just going to let ol' Ed mope around all day. You'll see. One look at one of my dolls, and he'll be out of that slump in a heartbeat." Cole said before returning to his own room.

Emmett gave one last hearty laugh and called after him, "You're on!"


	3. The First Attempt

Edward sat motionlessly on a smooth rock, head in hands. It was taking him longer than usual to silence the callous voice inside his head. He didn't know how long he had been sitting out in the snow, but he had noticed that the sky had brightened and darkened again at least two times. He sighed as he stood up slowly, dusting the unmelted snow off his shoulders. Perhaps hunting would help…He prepared to speed off to his typical hunting grounds, but another voice suddenly filled his mind.

_That kid is crazy. There's no way Edward's going to fall for it! _Emmett's musings permeated the barrier Edward usually put up to block out his family. He had noticed before that listening in on other's carefree meditations could almost always stifle the dark, brooding voice of his own head. But guilt always plagued his mind after these temporary escapes to their untroubled thoughts, and he had long ago grown accustomed to ignoring them. Every once in a while, something would slip through, but for the most part, Edward could keep his family's privacy intact.

Edward grew curious. What were they planning to do? They wouldn't possibly try to play some childish trick on him when he was in a mood like this. He listened for more information, but Emmett must have realized that he could be listening in and started focusing on the wallpaper in his bedroom to hide his thoughts. Edward contemplated whether or not he should return to the house, but curiosity got the best of him and he sprinted off toward the home the Cullens shared with the Denali Coven, forgetting all about his plans to hunt.

Upon entering, nothing seemed out of place. Esme was in the kitchen speaking with Tanya and Rosalie. Tanya glanced up when Edward entered and offered him a small smile, clearly concerned about the length of his absence. He nodded to her in acknowledgement, but didn't bother to explain as he started climbing the stairs to see what Emmett was up to. Immediately, Cole appeared behind him.

"Hey, Eddie!" Cole said cheerfully, a goofy smile on his face.

"Hello, Cole. Have you seen Emmett?"

"Oh, yeah! He's actually in the guest house putting the finishing touches on your surprise!" Against all odds, Cole's grin widened even further. He took Edward by the arm and started leading him out the door. "Care to take a look?"

Edward tried to catch a glimpse of the surprise, but reading Cole's mind was useless. His spontaneous persona was due in part to his strange ability to hold hundreds of memories and thoughts in his mind at once. His mental capacity was far beyond even a normal vampire's, and searching through each and every thought that Cole held at one point in time was incredibly tedious, especially when each of those thoughts was constantly changing. It was as if Cole had been afflicted with attention deficit disorder as a human, and it was amplified many times over when he was changed.

Cole stopped in front of the door of the guest house just as Emmett slipped outside.

"Hey brother! There's someone _Cole_ would like you to meet," Emmett waved, opening the door wider to reveal a young woman standing behind him. "This is Olivia, Cole's old friend. She's visiting from out of town, and we were going to show her around, but Cole and I have some businessto take care of first. Do you mind keeping her company while we're gone?"

Edward began to protest, thinking that she would be much better off with Alice and Rosalie anyway. Just as he started to shake his head, Olivia looked directly at him with her playful green eyes sparkling brightly, excited to meet someone knew. Edward knew it would be rude of him to turn her down while she was standing right there, so he hesitantly nodded instead and stretched out his arm to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Olivia. I'm Edward," he said politely.

"Oh, I know. Cole has told me all about you." Olivia smiled sweetly. She took his hand, but instead of shaking it, pulled him inside. "Come on! I was about to make dinner. I'm absolutely famished!"

Cole chuckled as he turned to leave. "Have fun, you two!" He called over his shoulder, winking at Emmett as they returned to the house.

Edward sat awkwardly at the table as Olivia rummaged through the cupboards, every so often pulling something out and placing it on the counter. Finally, after removing most of the contents of the refrigerator and all of the cookware, she turned to look at him with an embarrassed smile.

"Alright, I give up. I'm just trying to make it seem like I've got mad cooking skills, but honestly I can't even make a bowl of Ramen without burning half the house down," she admitted, striding over to Edward and slumping down into the chair next to him exhausted. Edward couldn't help but grin.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of! Burning a pot of water takes talent," he deadpanned. She lightly smacked his arm, laughing good-naturedly. "Would you like me to make something for you?"

"Could you please?" she said, relieved. "Cole was supposed to take me out to dinner, but apparently he's ditching me to 'take care of business.'" She didn't sound the least bit bitter though. In fact, her tone was lighthearted and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"It's a girl, isn't it? You must tell me. Is he sneaking off with some secret girlfriend that he hasn't told me about?" she said, eyes shining with interest. Edward laughed as he minced some onions and threw them into a bowl, knowing Cole and Emmett were really going off to hunt.

"Most certainly not," he replied, moving on to the tomatoes. "How do you know Cole anyway?"

"Well…Long story short, I was at this party when he came up behind me and told me I looked delicious before giving me this extreme hickey. It's like he was trying to bite me!…But then his friend pulled him away and everything turned out alright, and we became good friends!" she finished, beaming at him. Edward nearly dropped the casserole dish he had been sliding into the oven.

"Excuse me?" he choked out, eyes widening.

"Kidding, kidding!" she said quickly, giggling at his reaction. "Actually, we went to the same high school for a while, but kind of went our separate ways this year for college."

It was Edward's turn to be embarrassed. He set the timer for two hours and joined Olivia at the table, bringing with him some chips and freshly made guacamole.

"I apologize. The casserole is going to be a while, but I hope this will tide you over until then." Edward set the appetizer in front of Olivia, and she smiled gratefully.

"I love guacamole! Thank you, Edward." She stuffed a few chips into her mouth hungrily, then stopped and dropped her hands back into her lap, blushing furiously. "Oops…I guess I'm not acting very lady-like right now. Mom always told me that not only do I curse like a sailor, I eat like one."

Edward laughed, unperturbed by her table manners. Everything seemed 'lady-like' compared to the savage way vampires attacked and devoured their prey. Edward waited patiently as Olivia polished off the chips.

"So what would you like to do?" Edward asked once she finished. She didn't answer. Something had caught her eye. She squealed in delight and rushed over to the grand piano sitting in the corner of the living room.

"Holy crap!" she cried out in awe. "Is this an Alma-Tadema Steinway?"

Olivia reached out to touch it, but quickly checked herself and drew her hands back like a child who had just been scolded for reaching into the cookie jar.

"Go ahead," Edward urged. Olivia's face brightened instantly and she plopped down on the bench. She raised her hands over the keys, holding her breath as she played the first note. The sound rang out enticingly through the house, begging her to continue on.

"Oh my God…This isn't an original is it?" She asked, resisting the urge to touch the piano once more.

Edward nodded, pleased that she seemed to share his passion for music. "1884," he confirmed. Olivia's jaw nearly dropped.

"This must have cost a fortune!"

"I wouldn't know. It was a gift," Edward replied, leaving out that it had been given to him nearly a century ago and that it had only cost a tiny fraction of what it did now.

"Is it normal for your circle of friends to give each other million dollar gifts? Because I want in!" she said, only half-joking.

"Do you know how to play?" Edward asked, wandering curiously over to the bench.

"Do I play? Of course I do! I've been composing songs since I was seven. I couldn't vouch for their quality, but I've written them nonetheless. Want to hear?" she asked, patting the spot next to her for Edward to sit. He hesitated, unsure about sitting so close to a human, but she looked up at him impatiently and he quickly sat.

Soon a fast-paced tune was bouncing off the walls, filling the room with energy. Olivia played with enthusiasm, her exuberance lending an air of joy to the music. Edward admired her confidence. She made strange movements as she got more and more into the music, but she didn't seem to worry about making a fool out of herself. And oddly enough, that only seemed to make her more attractive. As the music continued, she became short of breath and strands of blonde hair fell into her eyes, but she played on, that sparkle never leaving her eyes.

But then the upbeat notes abruptly gave way to a softer melody, starkly different from the first. The notes were long and drawn out, almost sorrowful. Edward looked to see that Olivia had closed her eyes as she let the emotions pour out into the keys.

She intrigued him. Just when he thought that he had seen enough of her personality to gather that she was an upbeat, fun-loving girl, she showed another side of her that told a completely different story. He wanted to know more. The music faded to the background as he searched for her thoughts. But what he saw instead surprised him. There were no thoughts going through her head. Only brief snippets of memories that flashed briefly in her mind, too quick to make out. He focused harder, but a pair of lips suddenly brushing against his own snapped him out of her head, back into his own.

The room was completely silent, and he realized that the music had stopped. He had closed his eyes, furrowing his brow in concentration, and when he opened them, he saw Olivia directly in front of him. He immediately stiffened and pushed her away roughly.

"You should go," he said curtly, refusing to meet her gaze. She looked at him, bewildered.

"What? I-" she started, but she was at a loss for words. She tried again. "I'm sorry, Edward. I just thought…"

"I know what you thought. And you thought wrong. Rosalie and Alice are in the main house. You can stay with them until Emmett and Cole get back," Edward said coldly, holding the door open for her. He felt a tinge of regret when he saw the dejected look on her face as she slowly got up and moved toward the door. He softened his tone and quickly thought of an excuse. "I'm sorry. But I heard you'll only be here a couple days. I wouldn't want you to get…hurt."

Olivia had been about to step outside, but she whirled back around and stood adamantly in front of him. "That's sweet of you, but I'm really not that breakable. I know what I'm doing," she said stubbornly, placing her hands on his chest and leaning in to try again. But Edward held her back.

"I don't think you do," he said, firmer this time, taking care to keep the harsh edge out of his voice. "But it has been nice meeting you."

"Edward, wait!" Olivia took his arm, but he shrugged her off and closed the door in her face, murmuring a short 'goodbye.'


	4. Brainless

Hey folks! Thanks to those who subscribed and favorited my story! It always puts a smile on my face :). If you could review too, that would be absolutely fantastic! Anyway, this is just a short little chapter. It's the last one before we get to the good stuff that happens in New Moon, so enjoy!

"What happened!" Cole barged into Edward's room the next morning.

"Back from hunting already?" Edward asked, ignoring the outburst.

"Well- yes…" he said, caught off guard. "But that wasn't my question. Why aren't you with Olivia?"

Edward stood up and walked briskly past Cole, down the stairs. "Is she still here?"

"No. She already left earlier this morning."

"Well then, I asked her to leave because she thought it would be a good idea to pass the time hanging all over a vampire. It was safer for her to stay with Alice," he said nonchalantly, entering the garage.

"Really? That's what this is about? Her being _human_?" Edward didn't respond. "Ed, that girl was your dream girl! She plays the piano, if you had gotten to know her longer, you would have seen that she loves cars, she's _hot…_What more could you want?"

"Good, then she's all yours. But I have no interest."

"You're full of it," Cole said exasperated, about to leave.

"She's like you, you know," Edward muttered absent-mindedly as he polished a speck off of one of the newest additions to his car collection.

"What?"

"Her mind," he clarified. "Well, not exactly like you. She can't think of a thousand different things at once. But almost."

"I don't understand what you mean…"

"I tried reading her mind. Because you're right, I was interested in getting to know her. Just not in the same way you seem to want," he added sternly. "But all I could see were these images flashing through her head, absurdly fast for even a vampire. I just found it odd. I don't know how a human could possibly process everything so quickly."

Cole gave him an odd look, thinking about what he had said as he walked out the door.

"That'll be a hundred bucks," Emmett exclaimed, a smug smile on his face as he followed after Cole. "I knew Edward wasn't into blondes." Cole didn't even flinch as he dug into his pockets and pulled out a bill, placing it into Emmett's hands.

"That was weird," he said, still deep in thought.

"What was?" Emmett said, clearly not interested as he studied the bill.

"Edward said the doll doesn't think. All he could see were flashes of images."

"Well, yeah," Emmett shrugged. "She's a robot, what did you expect? Edward reads _minds_, not the crap implanted inside them."

"So…You're saying that whoever Olivia was…_before_ becoming Olivia, is still in there? Still thinking?"

"Not thinking, per se. But those 'flashes of images' you described are probably all of her memories. But dude, seriously. Why do you care?"

"I don't," Cole said, snapping out of his reverie, his signature grin reappearing on his face. "Want to play cards? I need to win back that hundred. I kind of owe Tanya."

"You sure? Wouldn't want to put you into even more debt," Emmett challenged.

"You're on."


	5. Try, Try Again

**Alrighty, so guess what, folks! I just got my laptop back! :) Yayy, I'm super excited because I've been dying to continue this story all week. But while I was laptop-less, I decided to add another little scene for the pre-Twilight setting before we officially move on to the good stuff. So here goes! **

"Tanya, do you mind if I borrow Cole for a minute?"

Cole sighed in relief as Emmett rescued him from the wrath of the cruelly beautiful vampire. She had been berating him with insults for a good two hours ever since Cole had broken the news that he couldn't pay her back. He quickly removed himself from the room, away from Tanya's death glare and found Emmett waiting for him in the living room with a smirk.

"I'm guessing she wasn't too happy to hear you couldn't pay her back due to your inability to play cards?"

Cole stuck his tongue out at Emmett childishly, then flopped down onto the couch, placing one leg up on the coffee table.

"Thanks for the help, man. I swear, even if that woman wasn't a vampire, she would be capable of murder."

"She'd probably get away with it too," Emmett chuckled, taking in Tanya's retreating figure as she climbed up the stairs to her room.

"Watch it, Em. Wouldn't want Rosalie to catch you staring at Tanya like that. She's got quite the temper too, doesn't she?"

"There's a reason why those two are so close," he smiled to himself. "Anyway," he began, quickly switching gears. "I didn't exactly save your ass from getting handed to you just because. That would have been quite entertaining to watch actually. But unfortunately, we don't have much time for that right now. I've got a proposition for you."

"I'm all ears," Cole responded, lifting his other leg up onto the table and reclining onto the arm rest with his hands behind his head.

"Well, it's about the Dollhouse-"

"Ah, I see. You took one look at Olivia and couldn't help but want in on the action? I suppose that could be arranged." Cole wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"What? No! I mean for Edward, you idiot."

Cole looked at him confused. "In case you were brain dead for the last couple of days, we already tried that. Or have you forgotten already that the extra hundred bucks you're carrying around used to belong to me?"

Emmett couldn't help but grin at Cole's recent losing streak. "Yeah, I know. But I was thinking…maybe we were just going about all this the wrong way. If we just set up the right scenario, I think it could work and-"

"Edward's late night tantrums starting to get on your nerves too, eh?"

"You could say that."

"Alright, well what have you got in mind?"

...

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Of course! I told you, Rossum has it all taken care of. The ice is already cracked, and the moment she steps onto it, she'll go right through."

"But what if Edward doesn't save her?"

"Then we will! Now stop worrying and shut up! Ed is starting to get suspicious!"

The two had roped Edward into going "hunting" with them, which was conveniently going to be right near a frozen pond where a certain doll would be getting ready to ice skate. They were now whispering back and forth to each other as they ran behind the ever-brooding vampire to their usual spot.

Eventually, the trio slowed to a stop and Cole stole a discrete glance at his watch. Right on time. Just through the bushes, they could see a tall, slim figure walk through the snow, a bag and some skates slung over her shoulder. Cole quickly stepped in front of Edward, blocking his view of the pond.

"So Eddy," he started, glancing at Emmett to let him know that they needed to buy some time. "What will be your animal of choice for today? Some squirrel? Deer perhaps?"

"Rabbit?" Emmett jumped in, using his large, muscular body to help Cole shield the girl from Edward's sight.

Edward gave them both a strange look. "I don't have a preference."

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the woods, a piercing scream following soon after. Cole and Emmett parted quickly, allowing Edward to take in the scene.

Nothing happened for a moment. Edward just stared in horror, his every muscle tensed to keep him rooted to the spot, as the girl struggled to keep her head above the surface.

Emmett started to fidget frantically as he watched his brother do nothing. Cole nudged Edward in the back, trying to get him to go.

"Shouldn't we do something?"

Finally Edward regained control of himself, replacing his look of desperation and shock with a cool mask of indifference. He slowly shook his head. "We can't. Not without revealing what we are."

"Edward! She's drowning! I hardly think she'll notice how fast we get there, let alone care!"

But Edward turned away firmly, feeling a twinge of pain in his chest as he did. "You heard Tanya. When our coven first arrived here, she clearly told us we cannot put the entire clan in danger for every human who crosses our path. This is her home, so we must obey her rules."

"But Edward-"

"No. I have brought enough grief to this family. Every time we have been uprooted was because of me. I will not be the cause of our move yet again. _Let's go._"

"So much for his 'protective instinct'," Cole hissed under his breath at Emmett as they began to run again, back towards the house.

"Don't we need to get the girl?" Emmett said, glancing worriedly over his shoulder. Cole shook his head.

"No, her handler has probably already stepped in. But I doubt Rossum is going to let me borrow their dolls any time soon after this incident. You owe me."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know Tanya's got him whipped!" Emmett replied defensively. "What would you say if a hundred bucks were to just magically appear in your wallet to repay a certain angry vampire with?"

"I'd say you better pay up."


	6. Crushed

**Yayy, so we're finally heading into the New Moon part of the story! :) That means we finally get some Bella! Moody, depressed Bella, but Bella nonetheless! Don't worry folks, she won't be this way for long. I have a feeling a certain therapist will help her out ;). Anyway, thanks to all of you wonderful people who have favorited my story! And a shout out to my first reviewer, euphoriaxmisery. You all should follow her lead and post a comment too, just saying xD. **

**Oh, and one more thing before we begin. I don't know how long the Cullens had been living in Forks before Bella arrived, so I'm just going to assume about a year and say that NM takes place 3 years after the pre-Twilight storyline. So that should mean that the Cullens move out of Alaska soon after the 'doll' incidents (without Cole, of course), they spent a year in Forks without Bells, and then of course there's the year in which Twilight takes place. Feel free to correct me if I'm missing something! ****Anyway, enough with the introduction. Enjoy the show!**

_Three Years Later_

Charlie took a deep breath before knocking on his daughter's door. He was never one for dealing with emotions, and these past few months had been particularly trying on him. It killed him to see Bella so hopeless, so lost. He had tried countless times to say something, anything, to bring his old Bells back. But nothing he did could fix it. He wanted so badly to say the right thing, but all that ever came out was wrong. This was his last chance to bring her out of her deep depression, otherwise he knew he would have to say goodbye, and maybe this time, for good.

"Bella," he called softly. There was no answer. He cracked open the door and saw her curled up in a ball on her bed, the way he had left her a few hours ago to deliver her breakfast. He walked uneasily over to her, hesitating before sitting down next to her. "We need to talk."

Bella didn't move. She stared blankly out at the thick fog that pressed against her window. Charlie sighed. He fidgeted with his pockets anxiously before finally resting his hand on her arm. When he at last found his voice, he spoke gently, afraid to upset her. "I think it's time…you see someone."

Now Charlie had gotten her attention. Slowly she rolled over and stared up at him questioningly. Charlie's breath caught in his throat. Her cheeks were blotchy and her eyes were red. Her hair was a mess, sticking out wildly in every direction. But worst of all, fresh streams of tears were running down her face. She had been crying. Bella opened her mouth to speak, and when she did, it came out a dull croak, as if she hadn't used her voice in years.

"What do you mean?"

"You know…like a therapist," he trailed off, feeling a stab of guilt just saying those words.

"A- a therapist?" Bella stammered, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "You think I'm crazy?"

"No, Bells, of course not. You're having a hard time right now, that's all. I just think a therapist could help you deal with…loss…better."

"Well what do you want me to do, Charlie?" Bella said, feeling the hurt swell in her chest. A new wave of tears threatened to fall as she sat upright and glared at her father. "Be happy that _he _left me? Just pretend it never happened?"

"No, Bells. That's not what I'm trying to say. I just want-"

"And the funny thing is," Bella interrupted, cheeks burning, "you're suggesting that _I _see a shrink when _you're_ the one who, to this day, still can't get over Mom!"

Charlie's face fell immediately. It was like he had just taken a blow to the stomach, and he stumbled back from Bella's bed. There was a long moment of silence as Bella lowered her gaze regretfully and Charlie just stared at her, visibly upset.

"Alright, Bella," he said, almost too quiet for her to hear. "You're right. I'm sorry I ever brought it up. I'll just…leave you to pack then."

"Pack?" Bella said, her head snapping up in alarm. "Where am I going?"

"To your mother's," Charlie said. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"No!" Bella's eyes widened as a feeling of dread washed over her. "No! I can't leave, Charlie!"

Charlie ran his hand through his hair in defeat. His shoulders were slumped over in exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Bells. I don't want you to go. I just don't know what to do. Your mother is worried about you…She blames me. She says Forks isn't good for you…No sun, just rain…It's unnatural."

"Please, Charlie. I'll go! I'll see whoever you want. I'll get better, Charlie. I promise!" Bella pleaded, the tears that had formed earlier spilling down her cheeks. She had to remember. No matter how hard she clung to her memories of Edward, they faded more and more each day. It was like trying to contain water with only your hands; impossible. Forks was her only connection to him now that he was gone.

Charlie deliberated for a moment. Finally, he gave in.

"I guess you should tell your mother," he said, turning to leave.

"Charlie," Bella cried before he closed the door. He stopped and looked up at her. "I'm sorry for what I said."

Charlie nodded, but the crushed look in his eyes didn't vanish as he shut the door.


	7. A Second Chance

**Yayy, okay, so we are finally onto one of my favorite chapters xD If only because it starts to explain more what the Dollhouse is all about. After this, I think I will start to slow down the pace of my updates as well. School is starting soon (ugh), so though I already have quite a few more chapters already written, I will not have the time to write more chapters as quickly as I am posting them. But no worries! I'll still post relatively often…Whereas before I was practically posting once a day, it'll probably be once every 3 or 4 days. So yeah, ya'll should be fine :) Anyway, enjoy the story and don't forget to review! My comment section has been looking a little lonely lately xD**

"Please have a seat," a woman's voice calmly directed. Bella took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. She sat on the edge of a plush chair, counting the seconds until the session was over. In front of her was a large antique desk, two cups and a tiny porcelain tea pot placed in the center. The woman sat in a high-backed leather chair, facing away from her. The room was silent for a moment, then she suddenly spun around to face Bella, her lips pursed together in thought. She folded her hands neatly on the table and crossed her legs delicately.

"Hello, Isabella. My name is Adelle DeWitt," she said, her voice commanding authority. "Do you know why you're here today?"

Bella didn't know what to say. Because it was the only way she could stay in Forks to be close to the memory of her lost love? Because her father thought she needed help? Because she had become so withdrawn, that when her teacher partnered the class up for a project, her partner had to ask him which one she was, even though that person used to be her friend? Finally she just settled on, "No."

The corner of Adelle's lips curved upward humorlessly. She stared curiously at her for a moment, then leaned forward and picked up the teapot in one fluid motion, pouring some of its contents into her own cup. She brought the cup to her lips gracefully and took a sip. "Tea?" she asked. Bella mumbled a polite "no thanks."

"Then I suppose it is best we get started. I've been informed that you have recently been involved in an unfortunate breakup. Is that correct?"

Bella nodded and Adelle scribbled something on a clipboard.

"Immediately after it occurred, you were found alone in the woods?"

Again, she nodded.

"And ever since, you have become completely detached from your friends and family." This time it wasn't a question. "Have you been getting nightmares, Isabella?"

Bella blushed, realizing how childish she sounded. When she didn't respond, Adelle looked up at her expectantly.

"Yes."

"Of Edward?"

Bella felt her eyes stinging. She hadn't heard his name for so long. "I don't like to talk about him."

"You don't like to think about him either," Adelle guessed. "But you do. All the time. What you need to do is forget."

Bella shook her head defiantly. "I can't. I won't."

Adelle nodded, expecting her answer. "You are afraid to. If you forget the pain, you fear the good memories will slip away as well. But what if it didn't have to be that way? What would you say to that?"

Bella bit her lip, unsure of where she was going with this. "…I would like that…But that's not the way it works."

"You're right, of course. Regular people cannot just adjust memories, adding something here and deleting something there. If that were the case, there would be little despair in the world."

"What do you mean, 'regular people'?" Bella inquired.

"Exactly what I said. Am I mistaken?"

"No. But are you saying that there are exceptions?"

Adelle nodded, a mischievous look in her eye. "There is certainly the technology for such…_modifications._ But I suppose that isn't what we are here to discuss. So how long has this depression lasted?"

"Wait…What technology?" Bella asked, taking the bait.

"Well, it's top secret. If I told you…"

"Please tell me. Like you said, I've been distant with everyone I know. It's not like I could tell anyone."

Adelle pretended to consider it for a moment. "Very well. I don't suppose you've heard of the Dollhouse?"

When Bella shook her head, Adelle launched into an explanation, starting with the Rossum Corporation and how it made the Dollhouse possible. She explained that the Dollhouse could be considered a combination of a rehabilitation center and a charitable organization.

"We normally approach those who have suffered considerably in their everyday lives, and we work to improve them. That's why we often station recruiters at places such as hospitals and in positions such as psychiatrists. At the same time, we help out other clients with whatever troubles they may have, from aiding in negotiations during a kidnapping to delivering a baby."

"I don't understand. What does this have to do with forgetting?"

"We'll get there," Adelle replied patiently.

She continued to describe how it worked. Those who qualified agreed to volunteer for a total of five years, during which time, they would live in 'exceedingly comfortable accommodations.' In this period, all pain would be forgotten. These Actives, as they were called, would live in a constant state of bliss, and every so often they would embark on 'engagements,' which, Adelle explained, they would be prepared for through a quick learning session. During the engagement, they would become whoever was required – for example, a midwife in the case of assisting with childbirth. Upon returning from the engagement, their peaceful state of mind would be restored. And once the five years were up…

"We compensate our volunteers immensely. Think, enough money to live however they please without ever having to work again for the rest of their lives. Or if they did choose to work, we could give a boost, providing them with the education to achieve whatever profession they wish and high recommendations from the Rossum Corporation."

"But how is this possible? How can you just turn people…into someone else?"

"The technology exists, Isabella. It has for many years now. A chip is simply planted in the Active's brain, and the possibilities are limitless. We have a special team of scientists who work to create personalities to fit any situation. We can form memories a person has never had, traits they have never expressed, and once we have finished, we merely download everything into their mind. Say we are in need of a heart surgeon. We could take anyone off the street, anyone at all. They may not even have an education beyond high school. But our scientists will create a whole new person. They will add skills and knowledge that this person has never possessed. But a human would not be complete without memories, experiences and personality. So our scientists will make this Active compassionate, kind and determined. They will create his entire life story. He will believe that his parents are named Jim and Kelly, that he was born in the big city and that he is engaged, when in fact, he never knew his parents, grew up in an orphanage in Kentucky, and has never even gone out with a girl."

"But then what happens to him when you're done? The person off the street? Does he stay that way forever?"

"Not unless he wants to. Everything he ever was before is stored away, ready to be placed back into the brain. That is where the modifications come in. Perhaps we have taken in a victim of rape. After the five years, she may never want to experience that pain again. So with her consent, we can erase that memory, and when she is restored to who she originally was, everything with her will be the same, except she will not remember that experience. So things stay the same, but in a way, they also change. Because now she will be a happier person – no longer will paranoia seize her whenever she meets someone new, no longer will she be plagued by nightmares of the attack every time she closes her eyes. And with a newfound fortune, she will, in every sense of the word, be free."

Free. The word sounded like magic to Bella. Just imagining a world without darkness, without pain. That's what she needed.

"So…You could erase my memory of…the breakup? I could forget it all?"

"Exactly. And if you wanted, we could still retain your memories of Edward. But instead of being heartbroken because you believe he has broken up with you, we can modify your perspective on the matter. We could make you believe that you and him agreed to end your relationship on amicable terms. Or perhaps even modify your memories so you will remember being only friends with him. Whatever you wish, we could do," Adelle promised. But then the mood changed. "However, I suppose none of this matters. You are young. You wouldn't want to give up five years of your life to work in the Dollhouse. And besides, I'm sure you can heal on your own. Just surround yourself with friends and-"

"My friends abandoned me," Bella said, thinking of Alice, and how she had never even bothered to say goodbye. "They all left with Edward."

"Ah, I see. Well then perhaps you could focus on the good times you had with this Edward. Perhaps reminisce by looking at old photographs of you two together, or listen to a song that both of you loved." Adelle advised, feigning sympathy.

"He- he took those with him," Bella replied, threatening to break down again. "Please…" she trailed off, shaking as she tried to hold herself together. "How can I sign up?"

"Well, how convenient. I happen to have the contract with me right here. Are you positive you want to do this? Your parents will not mind?"

Bella shook her head. "I'm eighteen. I don't need anyone making decisions for me," she said firmly, thinking resentfully of how Edward had always claimed to do things 'for her own good.' Adelle handed her a fountain pen, pushing the contract across the table, and without another thought, Bella scrawled her name across the bottom.


	8. Changes

**Hmmm…Normally I have something to say here in the little introductory paragraph, but I feel this chapter is pretty self-explanatory so….**

**Oh! My dog did just have puppies last night! And I have to watch them all this weekend. So I'm not really sure if this will give me more or less time to write, hmm…I guess we'll see! But I really need to get on that. I'm running out of pre-written material and I haven't written a new chapter in days xP. Ah well, hope you enjoy!**

"Have you finished the letters, Isabella?" Adelle asked, sitting behind the desk in her office. It looked like a larger replica of the one that had been in the therapist office. Bella entered the room nervously, a stack of papers in hand.

"They're right here." She set down the pile of letters, all addressed to Charlie and Renée.

"And they contain all of the information I gave you?"

"I didn't write much more than that. I was afraid of conflicting with the story you had made up for me."

Adelle fingered through the pre-written letters, one for every month of the next five years like Charlie had asked, every so often reading a portion here and there. She nodded, satisfied. "How did your father take it? Your abrupt decision to 'study abroad' for this coming semester?"

Bella frowned, clearly puzzled, recalling the look on Charlie's face. "He seemed…pleased. He didn't even ask me why. It's like he's glad to see me go."

"I'm sure he is," Adelle smiled, understanding. "He's probably happy to see you smiling again, after so many months. He must think that you are looking for a fresh start. And I suppose that's not too far off the mark, is it?"

Bella gazed out the window, looking down at the busy streets of Los Angeles. It was a warm, cloudless day, and people were crowding into shops, buying last minute decorations to ring in the New Year. She had only been in California for two days, and yet she was already missing the cold, snowy weather of Washington. She laughed darkly to herself. Less than a year ago, she would have given anything to go back to the sun. But now it scared her. Even before _he _had left her, the sun meant he would be away, off hunting. The sun had come to symbolize longing and solitude, whereas it had once been a source of joy and comfort back in Arizona. But in five years, when Bella would awake once more, she knew that her darkened view of the world would improve. She would no longer feel that sense of isolation and rejection. She would once again experience happiness.

"I believe we are all set here. Are you ready?"

Adelle opened the door, motioning for Bella to follow. They walked down a long hallway that overlooked the entire first floor of the Dollhouse. It looked like a retreat where millionaires would go for a weekend getaway. Polished wood floors sprawled across the room, leading into oak panels that lined the walls. The center of the room had a large square punched out of the floor that was instead filled with smooth gray pebbles, and leafy green trees were placed strategically in every corner. With calming yellow lights meant to mimic the sun's warming rays, the natural elements worked together in harmony to produce the effect of a Zen garden. Everyone looked content and peaceful. Some Actives were doing yoga in the center of the room, while others sat around tables playing chess. In one corner, stools and easels were set up for those Actives who wished to express their creative side, and behind a screen in a small back room, two more were getting a massage. Bella couldn't help but think that in just a few moments, she would join them. She would get to be carefree and serene, just like the people down below.

"In here, Isabella," Adelle said, pointing to a door ahead. The room was starkly different from the ones on the first floor. It was small and cramped, the only light coming from an array of computers and machines that lined the walls and the harsh fluorescent bulbs from above. A man in a checkered shirt and sweater vest stepped forward.

"Hello," he greeted, smiling a goofy grin. "I'm Topher, and you must be…"

"Bella," she filled in, still taking in her surroundings.

"Right. Bella," he repeated. "Well, Bella, I'm going to briefly walk you through the steps before we begin so there are no surprises, alright?"

Bella nodded, directing her attention toward him.

"First, I'm going to need you to sit in this chair." He gestured dramatically to a reclining chair in the center of the room. Surrounding the headrest was some sort of halo that emitted a blue glow. Bella moved to take a seat, but Topher quickly stepped in front of her. "Nah uh uh, not just yet, impatient one. Just listen for now, okay?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw Adelle roll her eyes, her arms crossed sternly in front of her chest. "No need for theatrics, Topher. We're on a schedule."

"How many times must I tell you, DeWitt? _Genius _takes _time. _That's just the way it works. I'm sorry, but even I can't change that…Though I can change a lot of things. Like brains and such…Yeah, brains I'm good at…" Topher began to mutter to himself as he rattled off his accomplishments. Adelle raised an eyebrow and quickly Topher paused in the middle of his list, returning to the task at hand."Okay, okay okay. I'm sorry," he said, raising his hands and shrugging his shoulders in surrender.

"So," he continued. "You will lay back in this chair. The first thing we will need to do is run some tests. Boring, yes. But also necessary. It will allow us to see everything we will need to know to keep you safe during your stay. You aren't afraid of needles are you?"

Bella shook her head.

"Well good. Because we're going to have to stick quite a few in. But hey, just think of it as acupuncture!" he joked. No one laughed. "Okay then…" he said awkwardly. "Well anyway, we'll run all the diagnostic tests, then we'll have to insert two implants – one is the hardware we'll need to modify your memories, and the other is a tracker, so we'll always be able to find you if something were to happen. Not that anything bad normally happens, of course!"

Adelle glared at him, warning him to wrap up his explanation.

"Okay, um…Well finally, we'll scan your brain and save everything to a hard drive. Two, in fact, just to be safe. And then we'll upload the Active software and you'll be good to go!"

"Oh, just like that, huh?" Bella remarked dryly, but it had been a while since she had attempted to be funny, and her joke fell flat. Topher was quick to correct her in a voice that showed he clearly thought he knew it all.

"Actually, it's not 'just like that'. The process can take hours, and it's a very delicate procedure that, if done incorrectly, can-" Topher began to shoot down her ignorant assumption, but suddenly saw the half-formed smile on her face as she tried to lighten the mood. "Oh, haha. It's a joke. Right…Haha. Good one," he amended awkwardly. "Um…Well let's get started then."


	9. Rebirth

**Soooo I've got a nice little concluding paragraph down there at the bottom for ya (well perhaps a paragraph in a kindergartener's eyes….Their paragraphs are only like 3 sentences long xP), so let's just jump right into the story this time, shall we?**

"Hello, Phoenix. How are you feeling?" a voice asked. The room slowly came into view as Phoenix regained consciousness. She looked around in confusion.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"For a little while." Topher appeared next to her, looking down at her calmly.

"Shall I go now?" she asked, unsure of whether or not she was done with her treatment.

"If you'd like," was his reply, accompanied by a tranquil smile. "We have some clothes laid out for you to wear, if they would make you more comfortable."

Phoenix rose from the chair, wandering over to a table in the corner of the room. She fingered the fabrics carefully, then looked back up to Topher. "Yes, I will be very comfortable, thank you."

Unabashed, she removed her garments and picked up the cotton pants and tank top silently. As she slid on the pants, she mindlessly thought to herself how soft they felt against her skin. She liked this material. Then she strolled past Topher, making her way down the stairs toward a stool and easel.

"Hello, Phoenix. How are you doing today?" an instructor greeted.

"I think I would like to paint," she answered, sitting down.

"Good, good. I will return with some supplies, alright?"

Phoenix sat still with her hands in her lap, watching the others around her.

"That is a very nice painting," she commented to her neighbor. The Active turned to look at her and smiled.

"Thank you. I try to always be my best."

Phoenix nodded in agreement. "I am Phoenix."

"Hello, Phoenix. I am Victor. Would you like to use some paint?" He held out a jar of red for her to use.

"Phoenix," the instructor interrupted, coming back without the paint. "Dr. Saunders would like to see you in her office. But you are welcome to return here when you are finished."

"Goodbye, Victor." Phoenix walked in the direction she pointed, coming to a secluded room in the corner.

"Hello, Phoenix. You can sit down right here, if you'd like," a woman said, pointing to a cot. She had sad brown eyes, and angry red scars marred her otherwise pretty face. "So are you enjoying your stay so far?"

"Yes. It is very relaxing here. It is nice to relax," Phoenix commented.

"Yes, I'm sure it is. Miss Taylor has informed me that you have already made a new friend."

"Victor is very polite. He let me use his paint."

"Well, that's very kind of Victor. Do you like to paint?"

"I like the colors," Phoenix said.

"Good. When you choose to paint again I will ask Miss Taylor to bring out extra colors, just for you. How does that sound?"

"Very nice, thank you."

"You are welcome. Now I wanted to check up on you to make sure you were adjusting to your new home, but it seems you are fitting right in. I have taken a look at your vitals and blood work, and you seem to be in top shape as well, so you are free to go. Would you like a lollipop?"

"Thank you," Phoenix smiled, returning to the art studio. Victor had already gone, so Phoenix worked quietly on her picture. Her mind drifted off as she moved the brush in long, fluid strokes across the canvas. She painted aimlessly until she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

"That is a very good painting, Phoenix," Miss Taylor said, clearly awed.

"Victor told me we should always be our best," she replied.

"That is very good advice. Topher needs you in his office when you are done."

"I am finished," Phoenix said, setting down her paintbrush. She walked away, leaving behind the large, life-like painting of a striking topaz eye.

"Is it time for my treatment again?" Phoenix asked, sitting eagerly in the chair. "I do like my treatments."

"Yes, of course you do, Phoenix." Topher said, then turned to a co-worker beside him. "I made her that way," he boasted proudly, nudging the man. He seemed unimpressed and Topher's smile vanished. "Right…Well anyway, this treatment is very special, Phoenix. You're going to make a new friend."

He placed wires onto her arms and chest, then flipped a switch, causing the chair to glow a faint purple.

"Will you be my friend?" Phoenix asked, noticing the man standing next to Topher for the first time.

"Yes, actually. But even better, he'll be your very _best_ friend. This is Marc Phillips," Topher replied for him. "He will be your handler for the duration of your stay here. Whenever you go out on a 'field trip', he will be the one who ensures your safety."

"Marc is a very nice name."

"Yes, yes it is," Topher replied, picking up a sheet of paper and giving it to the handler. "Here is your script. It's just a one-time thing. But it will help you during the engagements. If she's ever in any danger, just repeat these lines and instantly she will trust you, wholeheartedly and unquestioningly, no matter who she is at the time."

Topher pressed a button on his computer and motioned for Marc to begin. Marc looked uncomfortable, but took Phoenix's hand in his and looked into her eyes. She stared innocently back.

He cleared his throat before beginning. "Everything is going to be alright," he read.

"Now that you're here," she responded automatically.

"Do you trust me?"

Phoenix looked surprised that he could question it. "With my life," she confirmed.

"Aaand cut," Topher said, shutting off the chair. "We are good to go. She'll be ready for engagements by tomorrow."

"Shall I go now?" Phoenix asked, sitting up from the chair.

"Yes, Phoenix. You may go."

***Ahem* For those of you who didn't put it together…Phoenix is Bella….You know, in her Active state xD**

**Anywayyy, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Even better, I hope you enjoyed it enough to comment and favorite! :) Until next time, folks.**


	10. Engagements

**Yayy, so I'm super excited! My last chapter brought New Beginnings more views and favorites than ever before! I think that's cause for a celebration, don't you? xD Anyway, my celebration consisted of writing two more brand new, extra long chapters! Which is great, because I hadn't been able to continue with it for a while due to a lack of inspiration. But color me inspired! Thanks to everyone who favorited, read, and especially commented! It truly does help! :)**

**On a side note, I realize that quite a few of you may not be familiar with the show. Seeing that I am, I may not be aware of certain elements that readers who have not seen the Dollhouse would not understand. So I think I've done fine explaining it so far, but let me know if you're confused at all! Enjoy!**

"Good evening, Sir. Would you like something to drink?"

The young man kept his focus down on his newspaper disinterestedly. He was only two hours into his flight from Los Angeles to London, and already he was bored. All the money his daddy had given him could buy this stupid jet he was currently stuck on, but it sure as hell couldn't buy him pleasure. He was about to wave the flight attendant away, but suddenly he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. Slowly he directed his attention toward her, folding his newspaper as he did. He looked her up and down a few times, not bothering to hide his leering. She shifted uncomfortably, a hint of red creeping up into her pale cheeks. She shuffled her feet, staring down at the floor uneasily and a silky strand of brown hair fell from her bun, hiding her eyes.

"Yes, actually. What do you have?" he replied finally. He tuned her out as she stumbled over the list of refreshments on her cart, still unnerved. "Right, yes. I'll just take a hot tea then, please," he interrupted.

The woman bowed her head slightly, then pushed the cart down the aisle to the miniature kitchen to retrieve the hot water. Without a second thought, the man got up and followed her.

"Actually," he started when he had cornered her in the back of the jet, "I've changed my mind."

"Is there something else you would like, Sir?" she said, slightly startled.

"Yes," he said, smoothly closing the distance between them with a few strides, bringing him chest to chest with her in the cramped space. Her breathing quickened but she didn't back away. He placed his hands on her hips, pressing her into the wall behind her. Slowly, he leaned his forehead against hers and breathed, "I would like you."

…

"Hey," a man said, approaching a beautiful brunette at the bar. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side, crossing her arms defiantly. "No, I will not be going home with you at the end of the night. Sure you still want to buy me that drink?"

The man looked surprised and backed away, the woman giving him a sweet smile and a wave.

"Aly! Why did you do that to the poor guy! That one was actually cute!" her friend said, laughing.

"Please, Amanda. He clearly has poor taste. He didn't even look at you!" Aly protested.

"Well, duh. Nobody wants to date some washed up celebrity," Amanda said nonchalantly, but she kept her gaze away from Aly's, hiding her hurt.

"Manda, don't say that! I know I have only known you for a few days, but honestly, you are the most amazing and the most talented person I have ever met," Aly said sincerely. She took her friend's arm, looking her directly in the eye. "I mean it. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Amanda sighed, not completely convinced. But then she finally gave a small smile and hugged her friend. "Alright, Aly. I still think any guy with half a brain would obviously see that you're the better choice, but thank you. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You wouldn't do anything without me," Aly said, a cocky smile playing on her lips. "You would quit your career, and that would be the end of 'one of the most successful stars of all time'. At least I believe that's how _People_ phrased it."

"Actually, you're probably right," said Amanda, all kidding aside. "I was just about to phone Neil Greene, my agent, and tell him I'm through before you showed up. But then of course you just bumped right into me at that coffee shop, like some kind of miracle."

"A miracle indeed," muttered Marc, concealed two stools down as he started typing a message on his phone.

To: Adelle DeWitt

_Phoenix and Amanda are hitting it off. Your client, Mr. Greene, should be pleased._

…

"Hey, darlin'. Can I take your order?" a waitress asked with a thick southern twang, striding over to the table. She placed one cowboy boot up on a vacant chair and leaned forward onto her knee casually, smacking her gum all the while.

"Hmm, well I actually can't decide. Everything just looks so damn good!" the customer said, staring at her chest. The waitress rolled her eyes, used to the ogling by now. He smirked and returned to the menu, humming as he browsed through the items. The waitress tapped her foot impatiently. It had been a long shift, and all she had left was just this one stubborn customer.

"You know what? I think I'll just have the soup of the day." He handed her the menu, checking out her ass as she walked away. He gave a low whistle, admiring the short denim shorts she wore.

She returned shortly, one hand on her hips, the other carrying the tray.

"There ya go, hun," she said disdainfully, slamming the bowl on the table gracelessly.

"Why thanks, sugar," he said, pinching her rear. Within a split second, the waitress had grabbed the man by the collar and pushed him roughly into the table, knocking the soup to the ground. She leaned over him, eyes blazing.

"Call me sugar. One. More. Time," she said. She was still chewing her gum aggressively, and she blew a small pink bubble in his face before popping it. He grinned at her.

"Come here, _sugar_," he said. Instantly her face softened and she leaned into him, giving him an alluring smile.

…

"_This_ is who you had in mind?" a client said, his face twisted in disgust as a skinny brunette walked into Adelle's office. She donned a navy blue swimsuit underneath her red, white and blue team sweats.

"Is there something wrong, Coach Smith?" Adelle replied calmly.

"Yes! There very well is something wrong! DeWitt, she's a stick! The other team will drown her within the first few seconds of the game."

"There's no need to yell, Smith. I think you'll find that Miss Dawson here will be a rather suitable addition to your team."

"No reason to yell? Adelle, we had a deal. I pay, you deliver. This is not called delivering. At this rate, I would rather have my injured player go back into the game than this girl. Find me someone else, or we're done."

"Why don't you have a seat?" The coach continued to glare at her, but he didn't move. Adelle sighed and motioned for him to wait. She leaned forward in her chair and picked up her telephone. "Yes, could I please have someone take Miss Dawson aside for a moment? I need to speak with my client privately. Thank you."

She hung up the phone, and within seconds a handler had taken the Active out of the room.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Adelle asked after the door had shut.

"No, Adelle. I wouldn't. But what I would like is for you to explain to me what kind of stunt you're trying to pull here! I have nev-"

"You've been a coach for how long now, Mr. Smith?" she interrupted.

"I've been an _Olympic_ coach for 13 years," he said, clearly aggravated.

"So surely you understand the extent of human capabilities. You know that if people run long distances, they get tired. If they lift too much weight, they strain themselves. If they sustain an injury, they wince at the pain."

"Yes, yes. Of course I get it. But what's the point?"

"The point is, _your_ athlete is only human. So when she hurt her wrist in practice, her body's goal was to repair itself. Her brain assists by signaling a feeling of pain whenever she tries to use her wrist, and so therefore her goal is to do anything she can to avoid that pain, which will in effect help her to recover. This is why she is sitting out. It isn't her fault, of course. It is simply a human failing.

Now our Actives are human, but the difference is, their minds are reprogrammed. Phoenix, or Julia Dawson as you will know her, is reprogrammed in such a way that she does not feel pain of any kind. She may be 'scrawny' according to your standards, but let me tell you that with simple modifications, she is stronger than any one of your players. Why? Well, because with our help, her mind does not process pain. She does not understand agony. So if she runs too far, what will be telling her to stop? Certainly not any aching muscles, nor an overly strained heart. She will keep running until she eventually collapses and dies. Now, I'm assuming this won't happen due to it being a relatively short water polo game. But what I'm saying is, the normal person can never really reach the full potential of their muscles due to pain. Phoenix can. Do you understand now?"

"Fine. I'll put her in. But if things don't go according to plan, I'm taking her out and I want a full refund."

"Of course. Miss Dawson, you may come back in now."

…

Phoenix slowly sat up, her surroundings blurring into focus.

"Hello, Phoenix. How are you feeling?"

"Did I fall asleep?"

"For a little while."

"Shall I go now?"

"If you'd like."


	11. Nothing

**I know, I know. Super insanely short chapter (that some of you might recognize, actually, as the one-shot I posted a while ago). I was considering combining this chapter and the next one to give it a bit more length, but they're just too different. They involve different characters, have different moods and are just completely different scenes. Not to mention, school is starting (ugh) and I have all of this work I need to complete looming over me, nagging at me to work on that instead of writing. So yeah, sorry about that, dearest readers :). I will hopefully be able to continue posting at least once a week…but every time I even think about everything I'm going to have to do this fall (applications, school, homework, practice, races, college visits, etc.) my mind threatens to walk out on me for fear of exploding if it stays. Which, in case you haven't noticed, is not a good thing.**

**Anyway, I apologize for my intro being nearly as long as this chapter. Here's a bit of emo Edward to make it all better :)**

Nothing.

That's all Edward felt. He would go throughout the day acting as normal as he could pretend to be. He would hold a conversation with Esme, dismiss Alice's growing concerns, hunt with Emmett. Listen to Cole's jokes, feed Rosalie's ego, console Jasper for what he had nearly done to Bella. But at the end of the day, all he felt was nothing.

Carlisle was the only one who saw through his elaborate charade. At first he had tried to support his son's decision, persuading the family to move back to Alaska and live with the Denali Coven. He offered to check up on Bella from time to time and made it clear to Edward that he would always be there if he needed someone to talk to. But Edward never came to him, and Carlisle could see that he was sinking further and further into depression.

When no one was around, he would approach Edward, voicing his worry. He attempted to make Edward see that perhaps he had made a wrong decision. Bella was hurting just as much as him, Carlisle said every time he checked up on her. Regret would show through Edward's calm exterior, but only for a moment. Images of that night would flash through his mind once more, reminding him of why he had to stay away. His resolve would strengthen and he would insist again and again that leaving was 'for the best.' But Carlisle could not be convinced.

Edward's talks with Carlisle were the hardest. All he wanted to do was feel nothing. _Be_ nothing. That's all he really was. He already had no soul. And putting on a brave face for his family required releasing all thought, for if he dwelled too long in his own head, the ache would return. Therefore he had no mind. And of course he had long ago given his heart to Bella. So what was left? But when Carlisle spoke to him, everything rushed back to him in an overpowering surge. All his pent up rage and grief and regret would hit him all at once, nearly tearing him apart - surely it would have had he been only human. And that's when his mask would crack, betraying his emotions.

When the news finally came, Edward couldn't help but feel relief. No joy, of course. That was an emotion he knew he would never experience again. But he felt a tiny fraction of the burden he carried lifted off of his shoulders. All of his suffering and everything he had put Bella through was not for nothing. And the report had come just in time. Had Carlisle told him a moment later, it would have been too late. He would have already been on his way to Forks, ready to beg for Bella's forgiveness, and he would despise himself for it.

But now Bella was off to college - a semester early in fact! She would be meeting new people, learning new things and finally experiencing a life without Edward; a life that she deserved. He knew she would forget about him in no time, between classes, parties and the string of men that would undoubtedly be knocking down her door. It hurt him, yes, to think about it. But after so many months, he had become skilled at ignoring the pain that constantly threatened to break him down. And soon after the relief of the news had worn off, all he felt was

Nothing.


	12. Kayla

**Alrighty, so I'm hoping you all like Cole. Because he's the main focus of this chapter (nevermind that the chapter title is 'Kayla' xP). I personally love Cole. I even named my puppy after him xD…Or did I name the character after my puppy? The world shall never know. But you know, maybe I'm just biased because I created Cole (the character, not the dog xP). So therefore, he must be an extension of myself. Though uh…hehe…I'm not saying that I uh…you know, uh, glitter in the sun or anything…hehe.**

**Anyway, thanks once again for those of you who reviewed, favorited, and of course read the story! It's greatly appreciated as always! Enjoy!**

"Cole!"

The vampire smiled brilliantly as a flurry of brown hair sprinted toward him, enveloping him in a huge hug.

"Hey, Kayla!" he mumbled into her jacket, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"I've missed you!" she cried, finally untangling herself from him. Cole grinned again.

"I just saw you last weekend!"

Kayla was Cole's everything. The two had met only a year ago, but still, Cole felt like he had known her for all 200 years of his life. The fateful day had occurred in a ski resort. After spilling hot chocolate all over herself right outside the lodge, Cole had been enough of a gentleman to offer her his coat. She had been shocked at this stranger's kindness, not realizing that the cold wouldn't be much of a bother to a vampire anyway. She had thanked him, invited him back to her cabin to whip up another round of hot chocolate, and they had instantly become friends.

Maybe it was because she was special. Not in the way that Cole was special, but certainly a gem in her own right. Everything that life could have possibly thrown at the girl had been thrown. Her mother had died giving birth to her and her father had never been around as a child. But not once did she ever wish she could switch places with someone else. No, instead she studied. She worked harder in school than any other kid and she sold her paintings on the side, being of the creative sort. At the age of 14, having saved up every penny, she emancipated herself and found a place of her own. And so here she was, an independent young woman. The jelly to Cole's peanut butter. The girl that kept him grounded every time his head wandered too far up into the clouds.

Yes, Kayla was Cole's everything. She was his friend. She was his soul mate. And hopefully she would one day become his fiancée. However, there was only one thing she was not: real.

Kayla was a doll. A robot. A shell of a human that was filled with whatever personality and memories and thoughts her current client wished. And what Cole wished for right now was a companion. He had had enough of his meaningless encounters with the not-so-uptight librarians and the Polynesian hula dancers Rossum Corporation had sent him in the past. All he wanted now was to settle down.

Of course, this was harder than it sounded, being a vampire. One that lived in the middle of Alaska, no less. Cole had tried long-term relationships with humans in the past, back when he still believed that he himself was human too. And though he was always upfront with his story of the Fountain of Youth in the beginning of the relationship, the absence of aging was never as appealing after a decade or so.

And so after five or six attempts at love, Cole had given up. He hadn't even touched a girl for nearly twenty years when he stumbled upon Tanya that one day in the woods. But still, nothing had changed. No vampire women caught his eye, and so Cole turned to dolls for his weekly trysts.

But that was all in the past now. Cole had discovered that pleasure wasn't all the dolls could bring – with Kayla, they could finally bring him the love he was so desperate for. So here she was, the brainchild of Rossum Corporation and himself. The girl that hadn't even existed up until a few hours ago. The girl that was programmed to be his perfect match. The girl that he was _really_ just now meeting for the first time.

"So what do you have planned for tonight?" Kayla asked excitedly, removing her coat as she walked into the guesthouse. The cheerful sound of a crackling fire filled the room, and she breathed the woodsy scent in deeply.

"Actually, it's a surprise." A boyish grin broke out onto his face, his floppy bangs falling playfully over his eyes.

"Uh oh," Kayla began, biting her lip nervously. "I'm not sure I could survive any more of your surprises."

The mood shifted instantly. Cole's smile disappeared, and instead an anxious look clouded his features. What had the Dollhouse programmed her to remember now? Kayla quickly gave him a reassuring smile.

"Aww, Cole, you know I'm just playing with you! Now what's my surprise?"

The grin instantly reappeared and Cole proceeded to skip down the hall, Kayla shaking her head in amusement as she followed. Upon reaching the very last door, he stopped abruptly. Kayla, who lacked the quick reflexes of a vampire, collided with the back of him, ending up in a daze on the floor. Cole turned around obliviously, but all he saw was an empty hallway.

"Kayla?" He called, confused.

"Down here," a voice mumbled. Cole snorted as he saw Kayla sprawled across the carpet, her scarf now wrapped haphazardly across her face.

"Kayla, what in the world are you doing down there?"

"Cole…"

"Yes?" He asked, cocking his head to the side innocently.

"Just help me up."

"Oh! Right," he said, springing to action. He offered her his hand, and Kayla rolled her eyes as she stood, a disbelieving smile on her face.

"Why are your hands always so cold?" She asked, straightening her scarf.

"What? Am I not hot enough for you?" Cole flashed a charming grin in her direction, taking a step forward to narrow the gap between them.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that…" she shot back coolly, winking as she started to slide one hand up his chest.

"Oh! Uh…the surprise!" Cole jumped back, clearly flustered. Kayla just smirked and turned to the door expectantly. He quickly regained his composure and opened the door, stepping back for her to enter first.

"After you, Madame," he said, keeping a straight face as he tried on his best French accent.

"Why thank you, kind Sir," Kayla giggled, walking in. Cole followed after her, closing the door behind him and leaving the room pitch black except for the tiny pinpricks of light that squeezed their way around the edges of the doorframe. He began maneuvering around the room, searching for the light switch.

"Oh, Cole! It's what I've always wanted!" Kayla cried. Cole had just reached out to flip the switch, but he paused and furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what she was talking about.

"Sorry?" he finally asked, still having no luck catching on. Even when he had essentially built Kayla from the ground up, he still could never guess what she was thinking…_Girls._

"A room without electricity! It's every girl's dream!" Kayla continued. He could just make out a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Oh…Oh!" he finally said in realization. "Sarcasm?"

She couldn't hold it in anymore, and finally she burst out into a fit of laughter, the enchanting sound bouncing off of the bare walls and continually adding to the clamor.

"…You done?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good," she said breathlessly, still clutching her sides.

Cole snorted. He could just make out her hunched outline in the dark, wisps of hair sticking out and her bangs falling into her face. Finally, he flicked on the lights.

"Oh, wow!" Kayla gasped.

**Hmmmm…I wonder who Kayla could possibly be! It's not like it's obvious or anything ;) But anyway, go ahead and take a guess and leave it in the review section if you'd like!**

**Until next time :)**


	13. Abstract Painting

**Yayyy, so I'm excited for this chapter :) I do hope you're excited, because I'm excited. I just wuv my wittle Colieee xD**

**Anyway, I probably will not be able to post another chapter until...at least next Sunday. I will be traveling, so that should hopefully give me time to write, just no time to post. Until then...I guess you can just re-read my story over and over again and post tons and tons of comments until my return! Sound good? I think it does. I think it sounds great xD. So yes, just consider that option for a bit, and when I come back, I hope to see a thousand new reviews waiting to be read, lol.**

**Anyway, enough with my wishful thinking. Enjoy the chapter!**

"Do you like it?" Cole asked excitedly. He was beaming with pride as he took in the surprise he had set up for her.

"It's…an empty room."

"Yes! It's _your_ room! To paint!" Cole could hardly keep himself from running at supernatural speeds to reach the corner of the room where a folded black tarp lay covering something. He threw off the sheet, and underneath were rows upon rows of buckets of paint, each in a different color.

"Oh! Wow!" Kayla repeated, this time in genuine awe. "Are you serious, Cole? You don't mind?"

"Of course not!" he said, returning to her side with an assortment of paintbrushes. "This is going to be your studio after all. You can decorate it however you wish."

Suddenly the brushes all clattered to the floor as Kayla jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Had he been only human, he probably would have fallen from the sudden impact, but Cole kept his balance and returned her hug.

"Thank you so much!" she practically squealed. "You're the best!"

"I know," he said, playfully donning a triumphant look. "But unfortunately, I'm not sure you'll like me so much if I'm dead," he continued, hinting at her strangling grip around his neck.

"Nah," she disagreed, clambering off of him. "I bet even after death, you'll be the King of the Dead or something. You're just that remarkable."

"Only if you shall be my Queen," he said with a snooty English accent, lowering himself into a sweeping bow and placing a suave kiss on her hand.

"And apparently you're just that charming as well," Kayla giggled.

"That I am, my Dear. That I am."

"Oh goodness, stop that!" she laughed, pulling her hand away to pick up a paintbrush. She walked over to the cans of paint, Cole strutting arrogantly behind her.

"Stop what, my Lady?"

"Cole!"

"Who is this 'Cole' you speak of? _My _name is Sir William Cedric Bumpkiss. It is so nice to make your acquaintance."

"Cole," she began, dipping a brush into a large vat of blue. "I'm warning you. Don't make me bring out the big guns."

She took another brush and covered it in a particularly puke-ish shade of green, allowing the paint to drip onto another tarp that covered the floor. She then looked at Cole with a raised eyebrow, daring him to continue his charade. A crooked smile flickered onto his face ever so quickly before vanishing once more.

"I beg your pardon, my dear lady, but in my experience, paint has always belonged on the walls. Not on a handsome, young fellow such as myself."

"That's it!" Kayla yelled. She started twirling her arms around her head, lifting up her leg every now and then to attempt an awkward kick into the air. Her head twitched to the side and a chimp-like sound escaped from her throat. After about a minute of this strange dance, she finished off with a martial arts pose, staring straight into Cole's eyes with her paintbrushes raised as she stood out of breath. Not a drop had landed on Cole, but he could hardly say the same about Kayla who now looked like a walking Pollock.

"Woah…You certainly made your point, now didn't you?" Cole sniggered after a moment, breaking the silence. Kayla's eyes widened as she took in Cole's pristine clothes and her own blue-and-green spotted garments. Finally, she straightened up out of her stance and lowered the brushes.

"Yeah. I think I did, actually. You've got a drop of paint right there on your nose," she smiled, pointing to where it was on her own face.

"What?" he asked as his smug smile vanished. "Where is it!"

"Here, I'll get it for you," she offered. She reached up to his face…

and swiped the brush across his cheek, leaving behind a dark splotch of blue.

"Hey!" Cole cried, leaping back from her. "No fair!"

"Life's not fair, Coco," she sing-songed, reloading her brushes with dollops of purple and white.

"Coco? You're going to pay for that one, Kay-Luhh!" Cole threatened. He waited until Kayla was looking down to grab another paintbrush before he sped over to her, grabbed a bucket of hot pink and dumped it over her head, all in one motion.

"Cole!" she screeched, dropping all of her brushes in surprise.

"Yes, Kay-Luhh?" he asked as he proudly surveyed his work. Kayla was completely drenched. Where the pink had not spilled, specks of dried blue and green peeked out. Her silky locks of hair now clung together in a sticky mess and dripped thick globs of paint to the floor.

Kayla was about to grab the can of orange next to her for revenge, but instead another idea crossed her mind. She put on her best seductive look and sidled up to Cole's side, hoping the sex appeal would come across even through the blotches of pink on her face.

"You know, I never did thank you for my studio," she said, continuing to edge closer. Cole could now feel her breath tickling his neck, her warmth radiating off of her skin and bathing him in it. Cole cleared his throat uneasily.

"Um…I-I think you did…Uh yeah, y-you did…" he trailed off. He knew he should back away. He wanted this time to be different. He was looking for a relationship now, not just a quick fling. But his feet were rooted to the spot and he couldn't tear his gaze away from her.

"Are you sure about that?" she breathed into his ear, ever so lightly grazing her hand across his thigh.

"Y-yes…I mean, no!…Er…I'm not sure…" He was divided. Half of his hundreds of thoughts were screaming at him to go for it, while the other half were demanding he stop.

_But why? _One lone thought prompted him, drowning out all the other voices. _This isn't _really _a hookup. After all, she thinks you've been friends for a year now. So why not finally take things to the next level?_

Just as Cole had made his decision, Kayla pressed her body into his. She took his arms and wrapped them around herself before entwining her own hands within his hair.

"How does it feel?" she whispered as Cole was leaning his head in.

"What?" he murmured, distracted.

"To be covered in paint!" she laughed, dancing back out of his arms.

"Huh?" Cole asked, the heat of the moment still clouding his thoughts. He looked down at himself, and sure enough, he was also now covered in the hot pink paint.

"Kayla!" he whined, pouting. "You tricked me!"

"Aww, I'm sowwy, Coco! Let's get you cleaned up," she said in a baby voice, beginning to unbutton his shirt.

"Yeah, you better," he muttered, letting his button down fall to the ground.

"There, is that better, my wittle honey bunny?" she continued to mock him, wiping a stray smudge of pink off of his bare shoulder.

"What! What about my pants? And my shoes! And my _hair_!" Clumps of streaked, knotted hair were sticking out of his head at odd angles from when Kayla had played with it.

"Oh, go take a shower, you baby!" she giggled, making her way out of the room and into the bathroom. Cole lit up in excitement.

"You're taking one with me?" he asked, running to catch up with her.

"Nope. I call first shower. But feel free to make me dinner while I'm in here!" she said, shutting the door in his face.

"Kayla!" he grumbled. "What about the studio!"

"We'll paint it after I'm done!" she called from the other side of the door. Cole was about to argue, but the water was already running and he wandered back into the room to mope, painting unhappy stick figures on the wall.

…

"Done!" he heard nearly an hour later.

"Took you long enough," he griped, standing up from his spot on the floor.

"Aww, Cole! Is Mr. Grumpypants coming out to play again?" Cole crossed his arms and shook his head, his face scrunched up like a toddler's before throwing a tantrum. "Well, I'm sure a kiss would cheer him up, but I'm afraid I just took a shower and _you_ still have paint all over your face."

"And whose fault is that!" Cole protested. Kayla ignored him and continued.

"As I was _saying_…Perhaps Mr. Grumpypants would get a kiss…If only he would shower."

Cole's ears perked up at this, and he shouted out his agreement before sprinting off to the bathroom. Kayla just smiled before turning to the wall Cole had started on. She was about to pick up a paintbrush and add her own figures when she heard the doorbell ring.

"Coming!" she called. She was about to tell Cole, but decided she wouldn't subject the poor unsuspecting visitor to an eyeful of Cole in a towel. She smirked at the image just as she was opening the door.

"Bella!"


	14. Going Back

**Yayyy, so guess who has finally cranked out another chapter! Yup, that would be me xD I'm sorry it took so long. This has been my first free weekend since the summer. Goodness, senior year is crazy! Anyway, this chapter is kind of sort of long (or long compared to my other chapters, lol), so hopefully that will start making up for my absence. I'll also continue writing tonight, and depending on how far I get, I may have another chapter up for you relatively soon. So enjoy!**

"Excuse me?" Kayla asked, clearly confused. Standing at the door was a rather petite girl with choppy brown hair and large golden eyes.

"Oh my God, Edward is going to be so excited to see you! Come on!" The girl grabbed Kayla's arm and dragged her out of the house. She was surprisingly strong for her size, and Kayla was still too shocked to object so she just simply followed behind. Another much larger house came into view through the trees, and the girl kicked open the door and pulled Kayla inside.

"You guys! Look who's here!" she called excitedly, jumping up and down with unnatural grace. One by one, other people began to emerge from the kitchen and various rooms on the second floor, stopping and gasping as they saw Kayla. The house was suddenly overwhelmed with chatter as people she didn't recognize eagerly hugged her and asked her questions, all of which Kayla was too stunned to answer. But all of a sudden, the room fell silent and everyone turned toward the staircase. She followed their anxious gazes to a boy who had appeared on the very top step. He stared blankly back.

"Bella," he said quietly. Suddenly, his mask cracked and a mix of relief, shame and joy all flooded onto his face as he rushed down the stairs toward her. He took her into his arms gently as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

For some reason Kayla couldn't quite explain, the boy's embrace felt familiar and comforting to her. She began to bring her hands up to hold him, but noticed the stares of everyone around her and pushed him away, remembering where she was.

"I-I'm sorry…Do I know you?" she said offhandedly, not knowing what else she could possibly say in a situation like this.

"Bella…Don't be mad. We were only trying to do what was best," the petite girl said, an apologetic look on her face.

"But you've got it all wrong. I-I'm not Bella. My name is Kayla," she insisted, looking around the room at the inhumanly gorgeous faces. One woman in particular stood out. She had golden eyes, just like the rest of them, and long blonde curls flowed down her back. However, she was now looking at Kayla with a beautifully cruel stare, her lips pursed angrily.

"Do you have to be so melodramatic all the time? So Edward left you for a few months. Big deal! It's because he loves you, so stop acting like an idiot and take him back! I can't stand to hear him whine about you for one more day!" she spat, stomping her heel in a huff.

"Rosalie," a tall man said sternly. He gave her a warning look and Rosalie backed down hesitantly. He turned his gaze back to Kayla, and began speaking to her calmly. "Bella-"

"My name is not Bella!" Kayla cried, her bottom lip trembling. Her face flushed in frustration. Who _were _these people? And where was Cole?

There was a long pause, during which Kayla shuffled her feet and fixated on the ground nervously to avoid the boy's broken expression in front of her, as well as the rest of the residents' confused stares.

"Oh crap."

Everyone snapped their heads over to a very muscular man sitting on the back of the couch. "What is it, Emmett?"

"Alice, take Bella outside for a moment, won't you?" he asked. The petite girl didn't say a word as she dragged Kayla up the stairs to her room, staying close enough to listen but far enough so that human ears could not pick up on the conversation.

Back in the living room, Emmett had stood up in front of the rest of his family.

"I may know what's wrong with her…"

"There's nothing wrong with her. She's just upset…And rightfully so…" Edward trailed off guiltily.

"Maybe…Or maybe she's been reprogrammed."

"What do you mean?" Esme asked, speaking for the first time as she put a comforting hand on her son's shoulder.

Emmett sighed before he continued. He was going to get so busted for this…"Well…I think it might have to do with the Dollhouse."

He launched into the explanation that Cole had given him a few years back, trying to leave out the part where he had ordered one himself for Edward to use. When he had finished, Rosalie was staring hard at him, her foot tapping against the hardwood floor and her arms crossed.

"Should I even ask how or _why_ you know about this place?" she said icily, venom dripping from every word. Her fist twitched ever so slightly, reminding him to choose his words carefully.

"Well, I may have ordered one or two of them a few years ago…"

"_What?" _came Rosalie's screech, forcing Kayla to cover her ears from all the way upstairs.

"Oh crap, he's going to get it now," Alice muttered to herself, shaking her head in disapproval.

"What? No! _No! _Not for me!" Emmett quickly amended, backing away from Rosalie slowly as he eyed the heel on her shoes. "I promise you, Rose. I would never even think about-"

"Then who. Was it. For." Rosalie had brought her volume back down to barely above a whisper, but it only made the fuming beauty even more threatening.

"Well, I can't say…"

"Emmett!"

"Okay, okay! It was for…Edward."

Everyone's eyebrows shot up in surprise, all except for Edward's who looked less than pleased.

"Hey now, it wasn't my idea! But look, why don't we discuss this later? I feel like we have something a bit more important to figure out right now."

"Well?" Edward asked coldly.

"Well…the point of that whole…._revelation_ was that I think…Bella might be a doll."

"_What?"_

"Why would she do that?"

"No way!"

"Everyone, calm down!" Carlisle cut in, silencing the room's outbursts. When he had everyone's full attention, he continued calmly. "Now Emmett, before anyone discredits your theory, can you explain to us why?"

"You mean besides the fact that she thinks her name is Kayla and doesn't seem to recognize a single one of us?"

"That would be nice, yes."

"Well, for one, she hasn't tripped a single time today."

"It's true," Rosalie smirked, warranting a glare from Edward.

"That's enough," Carlisle said. "If Bella is a doll as you say, why is she here? Who is the client?"

Everyone turned back around to stare at Emmett. He shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly the door banged open, revealing a dripping wet Cole clad in nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

"Hey! Oh…Am I interrupting anything?" Cole said, noticing that every single Cullen was now staring at him suspiciously. "Well, I'll get out of your way. I was just wondering if any of you had seen a girl about 'ye' high?"

He made a gesture with his hand and looked around expectantly, but the room remained deathly still so he continued his description obliviously. "Cute little brunette? Brown eyes? Tight ass?"

A moment later, Cole found himself pinned to the wall by his throat. Edward had thrown himself at the unsuspecting vampire, and was now inflicting harm upon every part of Cole he could reach.

"What the-" Cole gasped out, unable to speak without a breath of air. He struggled under the blows for a moment, but soon regained his awareness of what was going on. He tried to catch Edward's fists, but the infuriated vampire was too quick for him. Finally, being older and much stronger, Cole flung Edward off of him, sending him across the room and into a large glass cabinet, knocking countless assortments of china down to the ground.

Edward was up again in an instant, but Emmett and Carlisle appeared by his side, holding him back while Jasper attempted to diffuse the situation with his powers. Cole just remained standing where he was, readjusting his towel awkwardly as he tried to lighten the mood with a faint, crooked smile.

"Heh, sorry about that Eddie...I forget my own strength sometimes."

"What the hell did you do to her?" Edward said, trying his best to overpower Jasper's tampering of his emotions and snarl at Cole. Needless to say, it ended up looking more like a psychotic grin.

"Woah, what are you talking about Ed? I haven't done anything."

Edward struggled against his family's hold again, but to no avail.

"Look, Edward. Fighting isn't going to help you. Why don't we just sit down and talk this through. That way we can find out how to reverse whatever has been done to Bella, alright?" Carlisle reasoned. After a moment, Edward slumped down in their grasp, signaling defeat. They sat him down on the couch, motioning for Cole to do the same in the opposite armchair. Emmett remained hovering by Edward's side, just in case he chose to attack again.

"Cole, can you please explain where you met Bella…I mean, Kayla?"

Cole looked sheepish, but nodded. "I sort of…requested her."

"From the Dollhouse?"

His head shot up in surprise. "Yeah! You know about it?"

"Emmett just explained it to us a few minutes before you walked in."

"How kind of him." Cole shot him a glare before turning his attention back toward Carlisle. "So…what? You want to order a doll or something?"

"How dare you-" Edward began, but Carlisle held up a hand and he quieted down again grudgingly.

"Actually, Cole, as it turns out, the doll you've ordered just so happens to be Bella Swan. She used to be a close family friend of ours."

"Wait…You mean _Eddy's_ Bella Swan? As in the girl he's been all wrecked over these past couple of months!"

"That very same one," Carlisle nodded.

"Shit! I'm so sorry, man! I swear I didn't know. I have no say in who they send me. Well, I mean, I do…But not like in who they really are, you know? And it's not like I knew who this Bella chick was I've only heard about her but I mean I was up here this entire time I've never even been to Forks! Well, except for that one time back in the 60s but I don't really like to talk about that and well, she wasn't even alive then anyway-"

"Can you _shut up_?" Rosalie spat, cutting off his hurried apology.

"Oh…right. Sorry about that…" Cole murmured, shrugging. "You know how it gets, with a thousand thoughts all yelling at me at once and all…"

"We understand perfectly." Carlisle interjected smoothly. "And hopefully you also understand why we'll need you to put Bella back to the way she was."

Cole looked as if he had been punched in the gut. His eyes widened and he was only able to stammer out, "W-what?"

"You need to fix her!" Edward growled before Carlisle could speak.

"Oh…" Cole said, looking for the right words that would keep them from touching his Kayla. "Well, look…I'm sorry, Edward, but there's just nothing I can do. She's Kayla now."

"No!" he yelled, poising himself to attack again. Emmett grabbed Edward's shoulder, but he shrugged him off and stood up, towering over the armchair Cole was sat in. "I think you better find out a way."

"I'm sorry, but-"

"What if we just sent her back to the Dollhouse?" Emmett began, shoving his way between Cole and Edward. "She can get back her memories, and then everything will be fine."

"Send her back to the people who did this to her? Emmett, I'm not so sure that's a good idea…" Esme said worriedly. "What if they don't release her?"

"Then we fight them!" Edward said harshly.

"No," Carlisle said. "We do not know who we will be up against. It could be the Dollhouse's own security, or it could be dolls programmed to protect the building. Either way, we would be putting many innocent lives in danger."

"Then what do you expect us to do? We aren't just going to leave her like this, with someone else's mind. It would be the same as killing her!"

"Wait a minute!" Emmett exclaimed suddenly. "Edward, remember Olivia?"

"What about her?" he spat, not very keen on hearing about his past when he had his own problems to deal with in the present.

"She was the doll! I heard about what you said was going on in her mind. That you only saw small snippets of memories and thoughts. What if those aren't the implanted memories, but the _real_ ones?"

"That would mean that Bella is still in there," Esme said, catching on.

"So what? Apparently there's a Kayla in there too. But she seems to only think that she's Kayla. Not Bella."

"So maybe we just need to remind her," Jasper jumped in, speaking up for the first time. "Maybe if we surround her by her past, it will jog her memory."

"Which means…" Edward began.

"Which means we're going back to Forks."


	15. Leaving

**So once again, I have failed. And for that, I apologize. I don't mean to take forever to update! I'm just easily distracted xD Like Cole, I suppose! But anyway, I wrote a super long one to hopefully begin to make up for it. It's sort of just a filler, but I suppose it's necessary and it'll get us to the good stuff that's coming soon. As always, I hope you enjoy it!**

"Uh…guys?" Cole said, clearing his throat. "I hate to break up the little party going on here, but we've still got one teensy weensy little problem."

"And what is that?" Edward said, gritting his teeth. He still blamed Cole for Bella's current predicament.

"Well you see, whether you like it or not, Kayla…or Bella," Cole corrected himself after receiving a death glare from Edward, "is going back to the Dollhouse tomorrow morning. And she's got a handler sitting right outside in a black van to make sure that happens."

"What are you on about now?" Edward muttered, shoving past Cole to look out the window. When he turned around again, a glare had returned to his face. "He's right."

Emmett just chuckled. "Oh, come on. I could take care of one little body guard easily!"

"Emmett, no. Haven't I made myself clear about my stance on fighting them?" Carlisle said firmly.

"Relax. I won't kill the man! I'll just knock him out and drop him off in the middle of nowhere! We're not too far from the Canadian border, and without any identification he'll have a hard time getting back into U.S territory. It'll be a piece of cake."

"Alright. But go quickly and be back as soon as possible. We will pack everything and think of something to tell Bella to get her to come along with us while you're gone. We are leaving early tomorrow morning."

"You got it," Emmett said, speeding out the door.

The room stayed silent as they heard a car door slam shut, an engine rev up, and car tires squealing down the icy roads.

"So now what?" Alice asked, having stepped out of the bedroom to join the conversation.

"Where's Bella?" Edward asked, eyes narrowing.

"She's reading a book. She was quite impressed with your collection, Edward," Alice commented. "But what are we going to tell Bella to make her leave with us? Surely she must think she has a family, and I doubt she would be willing to part with them on such short notice."

"She doesn't," Cole said flatly, realizing now that he could do nothing to stop the Cullens from stealing his Kayla away. "I've been considering what you're doing now for a while – getting a doll and not returning her. It's always such a pain when I'm in the middle of having a good time with a doll and suddenly her handler swoops in and drags her away for a treatment. So I had the Dollhouse pretty much create me an orphan. She believes her mother died at birth and that her father was never around, so she emancipated herself early on and now believes that she lives alone. So when the day comes when I would have to pick up and move to keep the Dollhouse from taking her back, she wouldn't think she's leaving too much behind."

"Well that solves that problem. But we still need to figure out how exactly we're going to make her move to another state with a group of strangers she has never met, nevermind the fact that we're all vampires," Alice sighed, plopping down on the arm of Cole's chair tiredly. "And then of course there's that fact that we'll need to enroll her back in school, which means Charlie will probably realize his "daughter" is back in town, which only introduces another stranger to Bella…"

"One thing at a time, Alice. If we try to solve everything at once, we will get nowhere. Let's first work on the move," Carlisle said, levelheaded as always. "Cole, are you and Kayla romantically involved?"

Cole eyed Edward warily before responding. "We were getting there, I guess. But she believes we have been very close friends for over a year now."

"Good, good. That will work. Then she would maybe know you well enough to accept if you asked her to move in with you…"

"_What?_" came an angry yell from Edward and a shocked outburst from Cole.

"…And she would have no ties here because she has no family. Yes, this should do for now."

"Carlisle, I am not comfortable with encouraging a relationship between them. How can throwing her at Cole possibly remind her of the past? She didn't even know him back then!"

"I understand, Edward, but unless you can come up with another way-"

"Uh, hello?" Cole cut in, an eyebrow raised. "Am I the only one in this room who finds it the least bit weird that I'll be asking a girl to move in with what essentially amounts to my family, before we've even gone on our first date? I don't know about you, but that's not exactly a chance I'd jump at. Maybe if we got our own place down in Forks…?"

"Have you not been listening to the past five minutes of conversation?" Rosalie said, slightly exasperated.

"Well, no. I just heard that you wanted me to ask Kayla to move in with me and kind of tuned out all the bickering after that."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her. "Well, I for one would not mind getting rid of the two of you. However, seeing that we're trying to reacquaint Bella with her old life, which _you_ were not a part of, she should be surrounded by as much of her past as she can for as often as possible. And I apologize, but that does not mean you eloping with her to some new apartment across town. That means staying with us, in our home, with you staying out of the way as much as possible. Get it?"

"Wow, Rose," Cole began, astounded. "You are so hot when you're a bitch."

Rosalie's lips curved upward icily, then she flicked her hair back and said, "I know."

"So it's settled then. Cole, if you won't mind going upstairs to ask Bella now so we can begin packing and be on our way…"

"Sure thing," he said. He was about to whiz out of the room, but Carlisle quickly stopped him.

"Cole?"

"Yes?"

"Perhaps you should think of covering up a bit before you do," he said, eyeing the towel still slung haphazardly around Cole's hips.

"No way, the ladies love it!" he began, wriggling his eyebrows at Rosalie. "She'll swoon so hard she won't even consider how insane it is to move in with a bunch of vampires."

Rosalie gave him a look of disgust, but he just smirked. "Alright, alright. I'll throw on something of Emmett's," he said before disappearing up the stairs.

…

"Kayla?"

Kayla lifted her head instinctively at the sound of a voice coming from the door. "Oh, Cole! There you are! Hang on, just let me finish this one chapter."

Cole bit back the smirk that was beginning to appear on his face, then waited patiently as she flipped through the last few pages of the book. Spotting the title, Cole quirked a brow.

"Haven't you read that a thousand times? You know what happens, why do you need to skip to the end?"

"Because it's my favorite part! No matter how many times I read it, I can't help but hold my breath when Belle sees the Beast just lying there. There are so many things that can go wrong – he could die. Or he could just stay a hideous beast forever! But still, Belle chooses him, not even caring what he is. It's just so romantic," Kayla squealed, closing the book and hugging it to her chest. She opened her eyes after a moment, expecting to see Cole laughing at her childishness. But instead she saw him staring at her, a sad smile clouding his features.

"Cole?" she said, her mood instantly shifting to concern. "Something wrong?"

Her words seemed to have snapped him out of it, and instantly his usual silly grin returned to his face. "Not at all. I actually had something to ask you."

"I'm sure it doesn't have anything at all to do with your landlords dragging me up here and mistaking me for a girl called Bella, does it?" Kayla inquired, remembering why she was sitting up here reading this book in the first place.

"Well, no actually. Or…Kind of?…I guess," he finally settled on, scratching his head with a sigh. He strode over to where Kayla was sitting and plopped down next to her, taking her hand in his. He stared absentmindedly at it as he stroked it ever so gently with his thumb.

"Uh, Cole?"

"Oh, right. Sorry," he said, once again snapping out of his thoughts. He quickly dropped her hand and instead directed his attention to a spot on the wall, refusing to make eye contact with her. "So it turns out my…_neighbors_ are moving. To Washington. As it happens, they are very old family friends of mine who have been allowing me to stay in their guesthouse, so I will be moving with them and-"

The sudden sting of his left cheek stopped him short, and he looked around to see what had hit him. He laid eyes on Kayla, who was now glowering furiously at him, and knew.

"You mean to tell me you're _moving_? And you didn't even bother to tell me?"

Cole had not known what to expect, but he certainly had not foreseen this little outburst. He was left speechless as he fumbled around in his head to find the right words to 1) calm her down and 2) keep her from slapping him again. And then he realized what he had forgotten to say. Or rather, what he had never been given the chance to say.

"Oh! I mean, well, I was going to ask you to come with. You know, to move in with me?"

And suddenly the venomous glare that Kayla was shooting at Cole turned to one of sheer excitement. A glimmer returned to her eyes and she had to cover her mouth to quiet her shrieks.

"Are you serious?" she yelled. Cole was about to answer, but instead Kayla flung her arms around his neck. "I would love to! Yes. Yes!"

Cole couldn't help but start chuckling, despite the fact that his airways were being dangerously constricted by the overjoyed girl on top of him. Finally he had to pry her hands away so he could speak.

"So," he began, suppressing a smile. "Is that a no?"

"No! I mean yes! No wait, no it is a _yes!_ When are we leaving?"

"Well that's the thing," Cole began, treading carefully. Sure, she had already agreed. But would she really be willing to just pick up and leave with less than 24 hours' notice? "We need to leave by tomorrow."

To his surprise, she didn't look at all bothered. "Alright!" she enthused. "I'll just need to pack a few things, but I can be ready by then."

_Damn it. Damn it all to hell._ Cole thought to himself. This was so easy! If only he had asked her earlier. He could have whisked her away the moment she had shown up at his doorstep. Then the Cullens would never have found out about Kayla, and he could keep her all to himself. But of course he was too late. And now he was in this mess. Now he had to explain to her that she was really a doll, that he was really a vampire – that they were all vampires, really – and that worst of all, he had ordered her. Could there ever be a worse mood killer? 'Oh hey, Honey. I just wanted to tell you that I paid someone to brainwash you into loving me. Just thought you ought to know before we made sweet, sweet love.' If Cole had ever been hoping to get out of this situation with his relationship with the girl intact, all bets were off now. Who could continue loving someone who had basically paid for them like some trashy prostitute?

"Cole?"

Cole hadn't realized that Kayla had been speaking this entire time, and now was looking up at him expectantly, waiting for an answer to a question he hadn't heard.

"Uh, I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Under normal circumstances, Cole was sure she would have been annoyed with him. But the effects of his 'popping the question' clearly still hadn't worn off, and she just nudged his shoulder playfully.

"I asked where we would be moving to in Washington. Ooh, is it Seattle? I've always wanted to visit Seattle!"

"Um, no. Unfortunately not. But I'd be happy to take you there sometime. We'll be moving to a small town called Forks. The Cullens – my neighbors – have another house down there where we will be living. I hope that's not too weird for you."

"Well, I'll admit that it sort of is...But I'm sure it will work out. As long as I won't be losing you." She smiled warmly at him, but Cole was still too busy wrestling with his darker thoughts to respond.

…

"I'm back!" Emmett called, stomping through the front door.

"Emmett! How many times must I tell you not to wear your boots into the house! You track mud and snow everywhere," Tanya scolded, her face sour. She and the rest of the clan had returned an hour before dawn from their weekly hunting trip to find the house much emptier than before. They had been disappointed, of course, to learn of the Cullens' unexpected departure, but they understood and had immediately set to work to help them finish retrieving whatever stray objects were left after an entire night of packing.

"Yes, Tanya," said Emmett grinning. "And how I'll miss your nagging back in Forks."

"Oh, no you won't," said Rosalie from the kitchen, packing up the rest of Esme's crystal and china that Edward and Cole hadn't broken in their little altercation. "I'll just have to double up on my own nagging to keep you from becoming too homesick."

Emmett made a face as he kicked off his boots.

"Oh good, Emmett. You're here," Esme said upon entering the house from behind him.

She was carrying a box full of stuff from the guesthouse labeled 'Cole'. Emmett peeked into the top of the box and noticed a rather questionable variety of costumes in them. He imagined Esme placidly going through Cole's closets only to discover the suspicious outfits, and he had to hold back a snort.

"We're nearly finished packing," she continued. "And I believe I have most of your things already in the car. But I would go through your room once just to check I didn't leave anything important behind."

Emmett nodded and bounded upstairs, still chuckling to himself about Cole's secret – or not so secret anymore – costumes he must have used for his dolls. As he continued down the hallway, he saw Bella and Cole coming toward him, clearly deep in conversation.

"But starting over completely from scratch? Shouldn't I at least bring a couple outfits? I doubt we're going to hit the mall the moment we get to Forks. If there even is one."

"It will be fine," Cole was insisting. "I just don't think we'll have time to stop off at your apartment before we leave."

"Oh my goodness, my apartment! What am I going to do with that? There's no use paying for it every month if I won't be living there, but I can't exactly sell it considering I won't even be moving my stuff out! Maybe this really is too soon," Kayla said, biting her lip.

"Don't worry," Emmett said, giving Cole a break. "I know a great realtor who can take care of it for you. Seriously, it'll be fine. And as for the clothes, Alice will be happy to lend you some until you can get some of your own. I'm afraid there's no mall right in town, but I know Alice and Rosalie would be willing to take you up to Port Angeles if you want."

Kayla slowly began to nod, then a smile broke out onto her face. "You're right. I'm just freaking out for no reason. I'm sure everything will turn out great." She leaned into Cole for extra reassurance, and Emmett saw that he was about to wrap his arm around her, but spotted him staring and dropped his hand back to his side nervously.

"Did you need help packing?" Cole asked, changing the subject.

"Nah, I'm just finishing up. But you should probably go downstairs and help Carlisle and them load up the car." Emmett answered, beginning to walk again toward his room.

Cole nodded and led Kayla down the stairs, once again resisting the urge to hold her once Emmett had disappeared because the rest of the Cullens were still within sight on the first floor. When they reached the driveway, Edward and Carlisle were loading five luxury vehicles with near lightning speed.

"Well this is efficient," Cole said as he approached. Edward stopped what he was doing and straightened up, gritting his teeth as he glared at the two of them. He was still angry about this entire fiasco, even if it wasn't necessarily Cole's fault, although he was loath to admit it.

"Well it might go a bit faster if you cared to help," he said curtly, bending back down to pick up another box.

"Of course I'll help. But I was talking about the fact that we're taking five different cars. Not exactly environmentally friendly, is it?" He tried to crack a joke to ease the tension, but Edward just ignored him and eventually Cole picked up a box and brought it over to the silver Volvo that was parked closest to him.

"What's his problem?" Kayla whispered, grabbing a second taped box and stacking it on top of the first. "I mean, is he always this moody?"

Cole wasn't sure whether he should tell the truth – that he was - and risk enraging Edward further, or lie and push the girl he loved even closer into Edward's arms. So he just shrugged and continued his work quietly, hoping she would drop it for now. Eventually Jasper and Alice, who had been carrying finished boxes from the house to the driveway, had stopped adding to the pile and they were left with only one that didn't fit. Carlisle opened it to look inside and see if it was necessary to bring along and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you in dire need of these costumes of yours or will it be alright if we leave them behind? I would rather not have to take a sixth car, as you already pointed out it's wasteful."

Had Cole been human, and not so completely shameless, he would have turned an astonishing color of red at that moment. But instead he just took it in stride, taking the box Carlisle was holding out and shoving it into the garage.

"Nah, that's quite alright, Carlisle. I'm sure Tanya will find them more useful than I ever could," he said with a straight face. Carlisle paused for a moment, then turned his attention to the rest of his family as they filed out of the front door.

"Is everyone all finished then?" he asked. No one objected, so he continued. "Good, then let's see. We have nine here, so we'll have two to a car. We will need one person to volunteer driving alone."

Instantly everyone paired up: Esme and Carlisle, Jasper and Alice, Rosalie and Emmett, and Cole and Kayla, leaving Edward looking around fuming. Carlisle whispered something to his wife, then stepped away from her.

"Edward, why don't you go with Esme? It would probably be simpler to cross the border for those whose licenses say they are adults anyway," Carlisle reasoned. He could see that he was about to object, so quickly he added in his thoughts: _If you push too hard to be with Kay-…Bella, she'll only be afraid of you. You must let her remember by herself._

"But how is she going to remember if I'm not there to remind her? If we haven't even explained to her yet what has happened?" said Edward under his breath, throwing a glance at Cole and Kayla climbing into one of the cars.

"Just leave it for now," Carlisle sighed. "You will have plenty of time in Forks to do what is needed. It will be easier, as she will be surrounded by things that she may recognize. Here, she has nothing to jog her memory, so if we explain to her now, she'll only think we're insane. Just be patient. You have waited decades to meet a girl like Bella. Surely you can wait a bit longer to return her to you."

"Alright," Edward finally conceded, turning to join Esme in the Volvo.

**So I hope this somewhat lengthy chapter made up for my lack of updates in the past! As always, thank you so much for reading and if you could spare the time for a review, even a short little tiny one, that would be most greatly appreciated! Thanksss :)**


	16. Coming Home

**First off, I'd like to say Happy Holidays to everyone out there! This is always my favorite time of year, and not just for the presents either xD I just got off school, so I had plenty of time to write, and I came up with this. It's a bit short, but I think it has a lot of significance packed into it. That is, if you know where to look ;) As always, thanks to those who subscribed, favorited, and commented. I hope you enjoy, and hopefully I'll get another chapter up soon enough!**

As the car shoved its way through the snow-covered streets of Denali, Alaska, ice crunching unforgivingly beneath the tires, the couple inside it remained quiet. No fight had broken out between them – at least not anything that Kayla could recall – but there seemed to be some sort of tension in the air, and Kayla for one was afraid to break the silence. So she swiveled as far away from the driver as she could, leaned her head against the frosty window, and sighed, knowing this was going to be a long, long drive.

"We're nearly there," Cole said evenly, stirring Kayla from her dreams.

"Huh?" was all Kayla answered, still in a daze. She closed her mouth, which had apparently fallen open during her slumber, wiping some drool with her mitten as she did.

"We'll be in Forks in about ten minutes. I'm sorry to wake you; I just figured you would want to know. Maybe catch a quick glimpse of the area as we drive through it."

Kayla stared out the window dubiously. The delicate snowfall in Alaska had turned into violent torrents of rain that pounded rhythmically against the windshield now that they had crossed into Washington. It was as if the heavy water droplets were trying to force their way through the glass and into the car. Kayla took a quick glance at the clock and was startled to see that it was nearly noon. Looking out the window, you would never be able to tell. The dark clouds formed an impregnable barrier between the Earth and the sun, cloaking the entire area in darkness.

"So I have something to tell you," Cole began, starting a conversation with Kayla for the first time since they had left. He had meant to talk, truly he had. He just couldn't find the right way to word what he had to say, and the looming arrival in Forks wasn't helping.

"What is it?" Kayla said, half relieved to seemingly be on speaking terms again, but also partly worried that what he was about to say wasn't going to be good.

Cole took a moment to gather all his courage, knowing already that this was not going to go over well. But whether he told her now or waited until the Cullens broke it to her themselves, this would have to be done. He just hoped that him being the one to tell her, rather than what Kayla thought was a bunch of "wacky strangers", would help lessen the shock.

"It's hard for me to say. And you have to promise not to think I'm crazy when I do…" Cole began uneasily.

"Well that's already a problem, silly! I already think you're a little off-balance," Kayla laughed, hitting his shoulder lightly as an attempt at easing her friend's anxiety. When Cole only lifted one corner of his mouth up in a half-hearted smile, Kayla frowned, her own nerves beginning to build up. "Really, Cole. Whatever you have to tell me, it can't be that bad."

Cole didn't look too sure, but he nodded and opened his mouth to speak. "Well here's the thing…" And hesitantly he launched into his entire explanation of the Dollhouse, Bella, and Forks, careful to leave out any mention of Edward and the disappearing act he had pulled that sent Bella into the clutches of the Dollhouse in the first place. Throughout the speech, his eyes remained trained on the road, although his quick reflexes did not call for it. He was determined to keep his gaze away from Kayla's, for he did not want to see what he knew would be either a look of complete disbelief or a look of hurt – and anger.

When finally he finished, not a word was spoken. Cole peeked to the seat beside him uncertainly, expecting the worst. But what he saw nearly sent them careening off the freeway.

"You're _smiling_?" he said, his jaw dropping.

Kayla laughed, clearly amused. "I'm impressed, Cole. Who knew you were so imaginative? I suppose it's a good way to explain your psycho neighbors though."

"But-"

"Hey, it's fine, alright? You don't need to worry." Kayla interrupted, her laughter dying down. "I get that your neighbors are a little insane, but that won't scare me away. You don't need to come up with stories to keep me here. As long as you're in Forks, I will be too. That's the way it works, remember?" She nudged his shoulder playfully and smiled up at him. Cole smiled distractedly back, his mind sorting through the thousand different thoughts screaming at him at once.

She didn't believe him. Of course, what did he expect? A story like that, he never would have believed either. Just like he had never really believed he was a bloodsucking vampire up until a few years ago. But she needed to believe him! Or did she really? Perhaps it was better this way. If she didn't believe him, she would have no reason to leave him for Edward. Whereas if she did believe, she would probably blame everything on Cole, the one who had requested her. And sure, Cole shouldn't have been poking around the Dollhouse in the first place, but hey, at least it got Bella back, right? But then again, if Kayla didn't really believe him, then Bella wasn't really back. And to be honest, Cole didn't want Bella back anyway. He wasn't in love with her. He was in love with Kayla. And though the Dollhouse could probably make him another Kayla, Cole doubted they would be so willing after the last doll they loaned to him was never returned.

"Cole?" Kayla asked when Cole hadn't answered. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"You know, the beginning of my senior year! You don't remember?"

Cole furrowed his brow, wondering what memory the Dollhouse had implanted of him now. "I'm sorry, Kay. Will you remind me?"

"Cole!" she exclaimed, slapping him lightly on the leg. "How could you forget? It isn't like September was that long ago."

Cole just shrugged and waited, and Kayla stuck her tongue out at him. "I was going to drop out of school to pursue my career as an artist. But you told me that you were staying in school and that you wanted to go to college. And I told you that I would finish out high school, and college too, because wherever you go, I'll go too."

Cole smiled at the artificial memory, but then he quickly turned mischievous. "Hmm, that's not the way I remember it," Cole began. "I think you just stayed in school because you had the hots for a teacher."

"Gross! No way! Did you see the teachers at that school? We were in the middle of Alaska for goodness sakes. All they have there are grizzly mountain men and- No, wait. Now I remember. I did have the hots for a teacher," she finished, her voice having gone flat and monotonous, her face completely blank. She was staring straight ahead, only her gaze seemed slightly out of focus.

"Kayla?" Cole asked, confused by the sudden change in her composure.

"Huh?" Kayla said, seemingly snapping out of whatever daze she had been in. "Oh, sorry. Are we there?"

And just as she said it, Cole had turned the car onto the dirt path that led to the Cullens' home. The damp earth gave easily as the tires squelched through it, slowing down Cole's normally erratic driving.

"Yup, here we are," Cole said, shaking off the weird feeling that had settled in during Kayla's little episode.

Kayla looked out the window. The sheets of rain had lightened up a bit, making blurry forms visible in the murky gray light. And yet, though she couldn't clearly see any one thing, the place looked eerily familiar. There were trees everywhere, some seemingly sagging underneath the weight of the unrelenting downpour. She had never seen so many trees! Yet something was tugging at her mind, telling her she had.

As they drove on, she saw a building emerge in the distance. All she could make out was a blurry outline, but in her mind's eye…she saw the clean, straight lines of a modern-looking house. The sturdy wood gave way to large panes of glass that offered sweeping views of the surrounding forest. It was elegant and refined, yet it was all in Kayla's head. Surely it was, because never had Kayla seen a house like that.

That is, until the car pulled up in the gravel driveway.


	17. Mushroom Ravioli

**So I feel that this is a post with many accomplishments. Not only have I finally updated within a span of less than two weeks, it's a super duper long chapter! xD Consider this a belated Christmas/Hanukkah present. Or just an early New Year's present. Although people don't generally give presents for New Year's, but hey, that just makes me extra generous! Anywaysssssssssss, I have given the gift of a long update, so in all fairness, I think I should get the gift of a review xD Sound fair? Hehe, anyway, enjoyyy!**

"Woah."

"What is it?"

"Déjà vu. _Extreme _déjà vu," Kayla said, her mouth agape as she stepped out of the car into the pouring rain. She didn't even wait for Cole, who was clumsily opening an umbrella for her. She just walked past him to the porch, exploring a place that she already seemed to know.

"Hello, Kayla. How was your trip?" Edward called from the open garage, eyeing Cole warily as he did. Cole knew he was testing how she would respond to the name in order to see if he had really told her the truth.

Kayla merely murmured something in his general direction, her eyes remaining focused on the building in front of her, before finally opening the door to see if she recognized anything inside the house as well.

Edward grimaced at the girl's retreating figure, then turned to Cole.

"Would you mind if I spoke to you for a minute?" he asked, nudging a stray box out of the way with his foot.

"Uh, sure," Cole said, his brows raised in mild surprise. Edward turned and began to walk a ways away from the house, not stopping to see if Cole was following.

"Should I have brought Emmett for protection?" Cole wondered with a half-hearted laugh once they had reached a small clearing shielded from view by a dense cluster of trees. The corner of Edward's lip twitched in amusement.

"As I do recall, the last time I attacked you I was the one in need of assistance. If I were foolish enough to make another attempt, I am positive you would be able to handle yourself just fine."

"That's true," Cole laughed, "I am stronger because I'm older. But you're much faster. I don't think I'd last very long."

"In any case, I'm hoping our little chat will not call for any bloodshed…Especially because I plan to apologize."

Cole, who had been distracted as usual by a particular species of bird, flicked his gaze over to him questioningly, figuring he must have heard wrong. "What was that, Ed?"

"I said that I am sorry. My behavior was unwarranted, and I hope that you will forgive me."

"Well of course I forgive you, Eddie! I wasn't ever really angry. Maybe a bit scared, sure. But if you tell anyone I'll deny it," he joked. "Anyway, I can understand where you're coming from."

"I'm not sure you can. And I don't mean that as an insult to you. You don't want to be in the position I'm in. For many years, decades even, I've been alone. And the one chance I had to be happy and to make someone else happy, I screwed up. It was with good intentions, yes, but do they really even matter? If my leaving has forced Bella to give up on living the life she already had, whether my intentions were good or evil is not of any importance. The result of my actions still makes me a despicable person. I was bad for her when I was around, and yet I was even worse for her when I left. I suppose the only noble thing I could have done was leave before she ever laid eyes on me. But of course I was too selfish for that. I jumped at the chance of making my life a little less miserable, without ever thinking of the consequences for her. And now both of our lives are even worse off. I was blaming you for what has happened to Bella, when really I should have been pointing the finger at myself."

"Aw, come on, Ed. You're not a bad person. Really, you're not! You like shouldering all this blame and all this guilt, when it isn't doing you any good. I'm not saying you shouldn't care; caring is the only thing left that makes us human. But there is such a thing as caring too much. Carlisle does it, of course. But he turns it into something positive. You only take it to the point of self-destruction. You care for someone, but when something bad happens to them – which is inevitable, no matter who the person is, or what types of creatures they hang out with – you automatically blame yourself. And to be honest, that blame can lead you into making some pretty stupid decisions."

Edward sighed, "Then what am I supposed to do? If I blame myself too often, and caring is what causes that, but I'm not supposed to stop caring…"

"Simple. Just stop blaming yourself."

"Because things are always that easy."

"You'd be surprised," Cole winked. "Seriously, just ignore the guilt. If you do it for long enough, it'll go away on its own."

"And then what? I'll be left a soulless monster with no concept of morals or consequences."

"Nah, you'll just end up like me!"

Edward stared at him pointedly.

"Oh, come on. I'm not really that bad! I just like to have some fun is all."

"Perhaps you really aren't. Aside from the whole Dollhouse thing, of course…"

"Exactly! If you shed the guilt, you don't just instantaneously become heartless, because you still care. Caring is what prevents you from doing bad things in the first place. But everyone makes mistakes from time to time. You can still learn from them without dwelling over something you never meant to do. Guilt is the key component of a destructive cycle. And looking at your history, it seems you've been feeling a lot of it."

There was a moment of silence as what Cole had said began to sink in. "I can't believe I'm considering taking advice from you of all people."

"Thanks," Cole grinned, crossing his arms somewhat smugly.

"You know, you're quite a bit wiser than you let on."

"Well you can't exactly live for a few hundred years without learning _anything_. Trust me, I've tried."

…

"Is she asleep?"

Cole nodded as he descended down the stairs, joining the Cullens in the living room after watching Kay-…_Bella_ fall asleep. He wasn't sure why, but suddenly she had become keen on using the new name. Something in her had changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it yet. She had never shown any sign of remembering anything, and yet she was more receptive towards the Cullens, the very same group whose strangeness she had been slightly put off by only hours earlier. Throughout the day as they unpacked boxes and cleaned dust off of the furniture that had been left there, she struck up conversations with several members of the family and even accepted Alice's invitation to go shopping the next morning. Everyone was optimistic about it, of course, and though Cole was slightly befuddled, he wasn't worried. Not yet, anyway.

"Good. We need to discuss her stay here in Forks. Bella appears to be going by her namesake now, so I'm assuming that means you told her everything."

"Yes. I explained to her about the Dollhouse and her life as Bella Swan. But I left out the part about us being vampires. I didn't want to overwhelm her."

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "Yes, we probably shouldn't let her know about that yet. Especially because she is still skeptical about the rest of the story. Perhaps if we see any sort of change in her, we'll tell her. But for now, it's best that we all be on our guard. There will be no talk of hunting, your powers, or anything at all that could make her suspicious around the house." Carlisle took a moment to look around the room to see if anyone had anything to say, then continued. "Now that brings us to her enrollment at Forks High School. She is still in high school, correct?"

"Oh, you mean the doll? Yeah, she's a senior. She believes we went to school together in Alaska."

"So then you'll be attending as well, I gather?"

"Uh, sure. Why not? I guess I haven't been in school for a while. I could stand to brush up on my calculus."

"Did you ever even take calculus the first time around?" Rosalie smirked.

"Nope," Cole said cheerfully.

"That's settled then," Carlisle stated firmly before Rosalie could sling out a retort. "I will enroll all of you, minus Rosalie and Emmett, back at school tomorrow morning. I believe school resumes on Wednesday from winter break, which gives you tomorrow and Tuesday to get Bella all of her things. In that time we will also need to find some way to deal with Charlie."

"You don't think they'll hold Bella back for all of her absences?" Esme asked gently.

"I'll find out for sure tomorrow. But I first learned of her "studying abroad" in the beginning of December. Assuming she didn't leave too long before that, she only would have missed a week or two of school because of break. In any case, I'll see what I can do."

…

The sun rose lazily over the tops of the tallest trees, as if it had done the same routine millions of times before. The normal gathering of clouds blocked out most of the sun's rays, but even so, a few peeked through, tingeing the sky with a touch of gold and pink. The surrounding woods were still deep asleep in a peaceful slumber. And yet, inside the Cullen house there was a flurry of activity.

"Hurry up, Bella! We need to get there before the shops open!" Alice called, already fully dressed and waiting by the front door. She jangled her car keys against each other impatiently, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

Bella, who had only just clambered out of bed five minutes ago despite Alice's annoyances for the past half hour, rubbed her eyelids as she stumbled in the direction of what she thought was the bathroom.

"Well, good morning," Jasper said when she opened the door.

Bella took a beat to register what had happened. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize you were using the bathroom," she yawned, turning to go.

"Actually," Jasper called before she closed the door, "this is my room. The bathroom's down the hall to your left."

Again she paused, her reactions greatly delayed. But what could one expect before 5am? She turned back toward Jasper, blinked a few times, looked around the room, and then turned red. "Oh, oops. Sorry about that, Jasper."

As she shut the door, she could hear him chuckling under her breath.

"Bellaaaa!" Alice called again, her voice carrying all the way up the stairs.

Edward laughed as he joined Alice by the door.

"Aren't we supposed to be making her like us again, Alice? Bella might have put up with your shopping addiction, but you can't be so sure _Kayla_ will."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. Every girl loves to shop. It's not an addiction!" she protested, but smiled resignedly when she saw that Edward was still laughing at her. "Anyway, where are you headed to?" she said, seeing that he was already fully clothed.

"I was actually hoping I could come with you."

"Ohhh, I see. Trying to romance her," Alice grinned, catching on. "Well, Bella may have put up with all your doting, but you can't be so sure _Kayla_ will," she echoed.

"We'll see about that," Edward said pleasantly, rising to the challenge.

"And what will you do if you fall in love with Kayla?" She kept her tone light, but a side of her wondered whether it could happen.

"That wouldn't happen," Edward responded instantly, an edge to his voice.

"Alright, alright. I was just kidding," Alice smiled, but she was tempted to look into the future just to check. But not just yet, with Edward so able to read her thoughts. Quickly she let the thought go and went back to focusing on which stores she should visit.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with?" Cole asked. He leaned against the doorway casually, watching Bella out of the corner of his eye as she brushed her teeth. She spat oh so charmingly into the sink before answering.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. I figure I should get to know her a little better anyway, so that at least I'll have one friend at school."

"You'll have me," Cole pouted comically at the floor as Bella began running a brush through her hair.

"Yes, I'll have you, but it would be nice to have a few girl friends around too."

"Does that make me your boyfriend?" he perked up. Bella burst out laughing, then seeing the look on Cole's face feigned seriousness.

"Wait, you weren't kidding?" she asked innocently. "Oops."

"Hey! You can't tell me you've never thought of it."

"I've never thought of it," she said. "There, I just did," she teased, grinning at him.

"Fine then," he sulked, trudging out of the bathroom unhappily. "Have a nice trip."

"Aw, come on, Coco," she said, still smiling. "You know I'm just playing with you."

In a flash Cole was back by her side beaming. "So does that mean yes?"

Bella pretended to think about it for a moment. "Hmm…"

"Come on, Bella!" he pleaded.

"Alright…"

"Yes!"

"…But only if you take me out on a date first," she smirked. Cole seemed unperturbed.

"No problem," he said smoothly, then turned to walk away again with his own smirk that mirrored Bella's. "I knew you wanted me all along. I wasn't even worried."

"Sure," Bella snickered. She checked herself in the mirror one last time, then ran down the stairs to the sounds of Alice's eager remarks.

"Finally!" Alice said, having resorted to pacing back and forth as she waited. "By the way, I hope you don't mind if Edward comes. Let's go!" she said, not waiting to see if Bella would protest before opening the door and prancing out to the car.

…

"Um, Alice?"

"Hmm?" Alice replied, not paying much attention as she walked down the streets of Port Angeles looking for the next store to raid. Her arms were already laden with a colorful assortment of bags and boxes, most of them for herself. Poor Edward had been trailing behind the pair with his own collection of packages that Alice had assigned him to carry once her arms were full.

"Do you think we could stop for lunch in a bit?" Bella asked, worn out from the combination of a weekend of moving out and in, and an entire year's worth of shopping crammed into one morning.

"Lunch?" she responded distractedly, spotting a cute little boutique she hadn't been to in ages.

"Yes, Alice. Lunch," Edward cut in, catching up to Alice in a few short strides and shifting a bunch of bags from one hand to another to grab her arm and stop her.

"Oh," she said, finally tearing her eyes away from the store. "But I really wanted to get this one skirt from there before it gets too crowded! It will only take a second, I promise."

"How about you just meet us when you're finished? I saw a little restaurant a few shops down, Bella Italia. Join us whenever you're ready."

"Alright, see you there!" Alice said, then dashed off to the store.

"Do you think we'll be seeing her for the rest of the day?" Bella pondered, as she turned to follow Edward back to the restaurant.

"Not a chance."

As the pair entered the restaurant, a delicious scent wafted through the door.

"Oh my God, that smells heavenly," Bella breathed as her stomach grumbled at her longingly. As if she didn't already know she was hungry.

"I'll get us a table," Edward said, stepping up to the hostess.

"Good afternoon, sir. How many are in your party?"

"Two. But I was wondering if I could be seated at a specific table."

"Absolutely, although there may be a wait. Which table did you have in mind?"

Bella watched as Edward spoke to the hostess. He leaned against her stand easily, and she could see that the girl was getting flustered. She kept flicking the hair out of her eyes and smiling shyly, all the while motioning animatedly. Eventually Bella had to look away as the girl caught her staring, but she felt the slightest tug in her that didn't feel quite like a pang of hunger.

As Bella began to sort out what had happened, Edward rejoined her side and offered his arm.

"Ready?"

Bella, relieved to finally be sitting down to eat, nodded and dropped that last thought in favor of thinking of what she was in the mood for. Edward was ever the gentleman as he pulled out her chair for her. After a moment during which they both looked over the menu, Edward broke the silence.

"I wonder if you find this place at all familiar. I feel like I've been to a restaurant like this back in Alaska," Edward commented passingly. But he listened hard for any hint that Bella did recognize it. He had made an effort to recreate their first sort of date…minus the men he had had to rescue her from, of course.

"Not really," Bella said, taking a quick glance around the cramped room. "It's nice though. Cozy."

"Yeah," Edward said, disappointed. Before he could press her to remember, a waitress showed up at their table.

"Well, hello there. Can I get you anything to drink?" Bella looked up to see a pretty brunette decked out in an array of piercings and tattoos smiling sweetly at Edward. She wore a dangerously low cut v-neck, which she was happy to flaunt as she leaned over the table awaiting Edward's order.

"I'll just have a water, thank you," he said politely, handing her the menu.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can get for you? You'll notice we have a decent selection of seafood. Personally, the oysters are my favorite, but maybe it's just because they're considered an aphrodisiac." She was twirling her hair now, one hand on the back of Edward's chair, twitching ever closer to him, and the other twisting its way through her dark strands.

Bella cleared her throat impatiently, her stomach's growling turned up at max now. "Could I get a coke and the mushroom ravioli, please?"

The waitress didn't care to hide her annoyance as she straightened up and pulled out her pad. "That it?"

"Yes."

Without a word, she grabbed the menu and walked huffily back to the kitchens.

"Edward, now look what you've done," Bella smiled, amused by the whole ordeal.

"Sorry?"

"Well, she was sticking her chest out at you that entire time and you didn't even spare her a glance! What a heartbreaker you are."

"Was she? I didn't notice," Edward said, preoccupied. The mushroom ravioli…something about it rang a bell.

"Of course you wouldn't," Bella laughed. "Every other guy in this entire restaurant did – hell, even Cole would be drooling all over the table all the way from Forks – but you didn't have the slightest clue. You really are something, Edward Cullen."

And there it was. She had ordered the exact same dish before! Surely something like that couldn't be pure coincidence.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Nevermind," Bella said, shaking her head. "Someone's off in their own little world today. Anything you want to share?"

Oh, just that you _have_ been here before, only as a different person. And that you went on to fall in love with the person sitting across from you. And that even though you're not in love with that person anymore, he's still unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you. And of course he didn't notice the waitress. He hadn't last time either. Because why would he want to downgrade from staring at you?

"No, not particularly."

"If you say so…" she frowned faintly. When Edward said nothing more, she sighed and turned to fidgeting with her cell phone, shooting a quick text to Cole.

"Alright, one mushroom ravioli," the waitress said, returning to the table with a steaming plate. She set it down in front of Bella, again bending down low enough in the hopes of catching Edward's attention, before turning fully away from her.

"Are you sure you don't want to try those oysters?"

"Positive."

"Okay, well my name's Amber, so let me know if you change your mind."

Edward merely nodded, but Amber didn't leave.

"Hey, I know where I recognize you from now!"

Edward inclined his head toward her ever so slightly, but his gaze remained on Bella.

"Right, I served you before! It was forever ago, but I don't think I could forget a face like yours. And you were with this same awkward little freak." She turned to get a good look at Bella, who had dropped her jaw open mid-chew. "Yup, not much has changed."

Edward's jaw tensed as he worked to stay in his seat and keep his cool. But before he could say anything, Bella had already started.

"And I see that _you're_ still working a minimum wage job, desperately shoving your boobs in unsuspecting patrons' faces. You are absolutely right. Some things never change."

The waitress scowled at her, but she had nothing more to say and stomped back into the kitchen amidst laughter from the surrounding tables.

"I'm thinking we'll be meeting a new waiter to deliver the check," Bella said nonchalantly, taking a sip of coke.

"Are you alright?" Edward worded carefully, unsure of what else he could say.

Bella simply shrugged and shoveled some ravioli into her mouth. "If anything, I think you should ask poor Amber over there," she said crudely through the mouthful.

"You don't think she was right…do you?" he asked, still unsure.

"Edward, of course I think she's right! How could anyone not think I'm a freak?" she said, sarcasm evident in her voice.

"I mean about the seeing us here before." He was tempted to cross his fingers as he waited for her answer. Maybe now she would remember, what with a little accidental prompting from the waitress.

"Oh, absolutely! Even though I've lived in Alaska my whole life, I suppose it's entirely possible for me to have been here before without my ever knowing it," she smirked.

Damn. Maybe he should have crossed his fingers after all.

"Hey, are you two almost finished?"

At that moment, Alice appeared cheerily beside their table, dropping twice as many shopping bags as she had had before at her sides. She must have been lugging those around everywhere, and yet she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Just a few more stores, and I think I'll be set until next weekend!"


	18. Victoria's Secret

**I'm going to admit, this chapter was a pain in the butt to write. I wrote the first third of this ages ago, but I just didn't know where to go from there. Or rather, I knew where I needed to go but it just didn't inspire me enough to write it. So when I tried working on my story again today, I really didn't think I was going to get anywhere with it. But then what do you know, this came out! So yay for getting past a bad case of writer's block! I'm sorry for taking so long, and I'm thankful to those of you who are sticking with me anyway. Happy reading! :)**

"Kayla!"

Bella had only just opened the door to Cole's bedroom, and already he was by her side, suffocating her in a bear hug. The bags in her arms fell to the floor, spilling their colorful contents everywhere.

"Hey," she managed to mumble into Cole's chest. Finally he let go, taking a step back to let her catch her breath. "You know it's 'Bella' now," she winked, "and though I appreciate having my ribs cracked and lungs crushed, I've only been gone for a few hours!"

"A few hours?" Cole repeated, bewilderment written all over his face. "It's past eight now. You left at five! In the _morning!_"

"Oh, right," Bella chuckled, running a hand through her hair tiredly. "We were going to leave sooner but then Alice saw a few more stores that she thought I'd like."

"Girls," Cole simply muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"Want to see what I got?" Bella said with over-the-top enthusiasm, already knowing the answer.

"Only if you stopped at Victoria's Secret," he shot back with a grin, flopping down onto his bed with his hands crossed behind his head.

"As a matter of fact…" Bella began digging through the pile of shopping bags in the middle of the floor. She pulled out a large pink one and held it up, her other hand placed smugly on her hip.

"Well in that case, I would love nothing more than to see what you bought. And it's only right for you to try them on too. You know how store mirrors can be; trick lighting and funhouse mirrors and all to make girls look better and thus more likely to buy their clothes. But _my_ bedroom mirror has none of that, so you'll be able to see exactly how you look in those 'ahem' _clothes_."

"Oh, how thoughtful of you!" Bella said, touching her hand to her heart. "Lending your ordinary mirror to me so that I can see just how unattractive I really look in lingerie!"

"Huh? No! I didn't say that, Kayla! You know I wouldn't!" Cole's cocky grin instantly vanished, turning into that special type of alarm a man gets whenever he realizes his girlfriend is about to send him to the doghouse.

"Oh, Cole, calm down!" she laughed. "You know I was just playing." Cole stuck his tongue out at her, eliciting yet another snort from Bella. "And really Cole, you keep calling me Kayla. Perhaps you're getting me confused for someone else, but my name is _Bella_. In which case I should probably go because you seem to really want this Kayla girl to model some lingerie for you. I wouldn't want to be in the way."

She finished with another innocent smirk before beginning to pick up the bags.

"Why do you want to be called Bella now anyway?" A whine had entered Cole's voice, and combined with his signature pout, he looked much like a tantrum-throwing toddler. "I thought you said the Cullens were crazy."

"Yeah," Bella shrugged, straightening back up after gathering all of her items. "But it's sort of fun, being someone else. I mean, I've been Kayla for eighteen years now. And since I've moved to a whole different state, with a new school and new people, I can finally present myself in the light that I want, without everyone already having preconceived notions of who I am."

"I kind of like the way you are already," he contested, not daring to mention the irony in what she had just said.

"Well I'm not saying I don't like who I am, Cole. But haven't you ever wanted to just see what life is like through someone else's eyes?"

"No," Cole mumbled flatly.

Bella sighed at Cole's stubbornness. "I'm sure you have, Cole, you just don't like to admit I'm right."

"But you're _not_ right. The Cullens already have 'preconceived notions' of who you are. They think you're some girl named Bella! How does that not count?"

"Fine, it counts! But the point is, those notions are different from usual. People normally think of me as 'poor little Kayla who lives in a dump on her own because her mom died and her daddy didn't love her enough to stay.' And sure, that's all a part of my past. I'm not denying it's a part of me. But it isn't all of me. As for this Bella girl, I have no idea who she is. And that gives me the freedom to just make it up as I go along! I'm not just expected to hang my head when I'm in public to signify my sadness over my 'situation' or whatever."

"Look, I understand where you're coming from, I do. But what I don't understand is why you have to change your name. You said so yourself, you're in a new place with new people who have no idea who you are! It's not like they're going to look up 'Kayla' on Google to find out about your history in order to form judgments about you!"

"I know they won't, but-"

"But what?" Both of their voices had been rising in volume the entire time, but Cole hadn't noticed until he saw Bella nearly cringe at the slap of his words.

Bella wasn't sure what to say. She knew that Cole was right. She didn't _need _to change her name. But she also knew that she was not in the wrong. It was perfectly reasonable for a person to want to get out of the role they had been pigeonholed into playing by the people who thought they knew them. And if she was allowed to change her address and her entire circle of friends, however limited, why couldn't she just change her name?

"It's just a name." She whispered her last thought out loud, suddenly tired from the pointless argument.

He wanted to say something back, but he saw the worn-out look on Bella's face and bit it back. Slowly he sat up from the bed, rubbing his hand over his face in resignation.

"Kayla…_Bella_," he amended, taking her hands in his and kneeling to the floor in front of her, "I'm sorry. I'm a jerk. Let me buy you flowers to make it up to you."

He said it so abruptly, his manner so frustratingly casual and assured. Anyone else would have come off as an arrogant jerk. And yet he possessed all the charm and sincerity to appear truly remorseful. It was as if with a flip of the switch he was suddenly a picture of innocence, complete with light shining down from above. His golden eyes gazed up at her through dark lashes, willing her to forgive him.

Bella felt herself crack a smile, and before she even said the words, she knew she had already forgiven him. "Alright, fine. Apology accepted." In her mind she scolded herself for being so damn soft as Cole stood up and enveloped her in another one of his hugs.

"I still want those flowers, you know," Bella choked out as a feeble attempt to redeem her 'tough' reputation.

"I'll get right on it!" And already Cole was out the door, all hopes of Bella prancing around his room in brand new underwear forgotten.

…

Esme sat alone in the living room, her faint breath the only sound to be heard in the house. Bella was asleep, and the rest of her family was gone; Edward probably out brooding on some fallen branch deep in the woods, Emmett hunting with Rosalie and Alice to keep their eyes light and therefore unsuspicious, and Jasper and Carlisle making a visit to Charlie in an effort to explain the careful web of lies they had constructed as a cover-up.

This left Esme to herself, something that was not at all foreign to her. She had never been the type to join in a fray or come up with one of the many spontaneous adventures her family seemed to constantly be embarking on. But that was okay. There was no doubt that she adored every single member of her ever-growing coven, and she knew she would follow them no matter how far across the globe they would travel or how close to death they may bring her. That was her own specialty. She may not have been the strength or brains of the group, but she was the one who kept everyone together, no matter what they faced. She was the one who was unconditionally loyal and unreserved in her love.

Just then the door banged open, and Esme instinctively turned to face the sound, expecting Carlisle's return. Instead, she was met with the sight of Cole, covered head to toe in snow and carrying a ridiculous amount of flowers.

"Heya, Esme!" He waved cheerfully, dropping a bunch of the blossoms in the process.

"Hello, Cole," she smiled. "Are those for anyone in particular? Or have you simply decided the house needed a little brightening up?"

"Ah-…" Cole trailed off, choosing his words carefully for once. "Would you be angry with me if I told you they were for Bella?"

"Angry? No no, of course I'm not angry. I am concerned though."

"I know, I know. Edward is supposed to be wooing her, not me. But she did agree to come along here to Forks as my girlfriend. Shouldn't I be playing the part?" Cole said innocently, a grin much like the Cheshire cat's slowly creeping onto his face.

"Of course, Cole. But I'm not just worried about Edward. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You're falling for her."

"…Falling for who?" Cole smiled cheekily, tiptoeing his way around the subject.

"Bella. Or rather, Kayla. Either way, you're falling for someone who doesn't actually exist. And perhaps we haven't known each other for very long, but I do care about you. I don't wish to see you hurt when Kayla is gone." Her tone was gentle and her eyes kind, but there was a hint of firmness underlying her words.

"Well thank you, Esme. But the idea of me falling in love with a doll is crazy! Hell, _I'm_ crazy and I still think that would be insane! Come on, you know me. I just want a bit of fun is all." He made sure to throw in a chuckle for good measure before readjusting the bouquets in his arms and heading up the stairs to where Bella was staying. But before he could reach the last step, Esme spoke again.

"I do hope you're right, Cole."

"I _am,_" he said, looking her confidently in the eye before turning back around and entering Bella's room. Therefore, he missed the glazed look that had come over Esme's face.

"Yes, Cole. You are right," she said softly, her eyes directed at nothing in particular. Only when the front door opened again moments later did her eyes refocus.

"Oh, hello Carlisle, Jasper," she smiled warmly, the strange episode forgotten. "Did everything go well with Bella's father?"

"I wouldn't say it went well. But at least Bella will get to stay with us, which is what matters," Carlisle said, rubbing his hands over his eyes tiredly as he took a seat on the couch next to his wife.

"Darling, what happened?" Esme replied, leaning into Carlisle and placing a comforting hand on his knee.

Jasper answered for him, pacing back and forth across the length of the room for a moment before finally settling down in an armchair.

"Naturally, Charlie was upset at first. We told him that Bella had gone skiing while studying abroad and ended up hitting her head hard enough to forget a few things. First he was furious that he hadn't been notified right away. And then he wanted to go visit her at the hospital, which we obviously can't have. So we told him she was already released and was staying at our house. I suppose that was a mistake. He demanded she come back home. We had to tell him that she wasn't allowed to see any close relatives for a few weeks until she got most of her memories back, otherwise the trauma of not remembering who her father was would prevent her from ever remembering. Carlisle threw in some medical terminology but he still wouldn't have it. Finally I had to toy with his emotions a bit, make him a bit more receptive and a lot less angry. I think it'll work for now, but I'm sure he'll demand to see her again soon."

"Oh, but that must be horrible for him. I can only imagine if I were told one of you was in danger and I wasn't allowed to see you!" Esme sympathized, placing a hand over her heart at the thought. "But I'm not sure I understand. Don't we want Bella to see Charlie? Surely talking to him would cause some old memories to resurface."

Carlisle took Esme's hand in his own reassuringly."Trust me, Esme. It would do much more harm than good. Charlie would let slip that he's her father and Bella, thinking her made-up father is in Alaska or wherever he is, would freak out. That's the last thing we want. Hopefully her friends at school will do for now, and when she's ready, we'll reintroduce her to Charlie."

…

"Bella," Cole whispered from the door, peering into the darkened room. "Bells, are you awake?"

"_Mmm?" _Came a sleepy mumble from the bed, a piece of furniture that had been hastily purchased once Bella had agreed to move in with the Cullens.

Cole took this as a sign that she was awake, and he immediately sprung into action, switching on a lamp and leaping onto the bed enthusiastically.

"Guess what I have for you, Jelly Belly!"

Bella sat up bewilderedly at the sudden intrustion, her eyes wide open as she took in the sight of her boyfriend sitting on top of her.

"W-what? What are you doing here, Cole? What time is it?" she sputtered out, looking around the room for a clock.

"Shhh, it's 11. I thought you said you were awake! I brought a surprise for you!" Cole was bouncing up and down excitedly now, the poster child of an impatient toddler on Christmas morning.

"11 in the morning?" Bella asked, certain she didn't feel like she had gotten over 13 hours of sleep. "Wait a minute, don't we have school today? Oh crap, no! I can't be this late on my first day at this school!"

"Woah, calm down, Ell's Bells! First of all, it's 11_pm_. Second of all, school starts Wednesday and tomorrow is only Tuesday. But I never knew you were such an eager beaver for school. When exactly did you become such a nerd?"

"Well, first of all," Bella said, mimicking his matter-of-fact tone, "maybe _Kayla_ wasn't a nerd, but remember that little chat we had? About me wanting to try being someone else? Well this is part of the package. Apparently the new me is going to be a nerd."

"How boring," Cole said, sticking out his tongue at the idea.

"Second of all," Bella said, speaking over Cole's gagging noises. "you shouldn't be insulting the girl you previously asked out on a date. Not unless you want to find this 'eager beaver' or 'nerd' ditching you for some handsome math teacher I'm sure I'll find at Forks High School." She smirked as Cole's mouth gaped open in horror. "And third of all, what's your surprise?"

Cole crossed his arms pouting. "Why would you want my surprise now when you could have some dreamy teacher's surprise instead."

"Alright, well if you don't want to give it to me…" Bella started to lay back down, tugging the covers out from under Cole to pull back over her as she returned to her slumber.

"No!" Cole exclaimed. "Come _on_, Belly Welly. I looked all over for it!"

Bella grinned at his childish whines, returning to a sitting position. "Oh, alright. What is it?"

Cole disappeared from the room for a moment, but came back with something behind his back. Finally, he held it out to her; a single, purple flower.

"It's an iris. I was going to fill your room with flowers. Each bouquet would be different…partly because I don't know your favorite flower and partly because it would truly be a sight to see, just like you are. In a good way, of course," Cole added nervously, still thinking of the whole lingerie episode. "But out of all of the hundreds of flowers I found, this one stood out. It's smaller than the others, so you would think it would blend in, but it stood out. And that's kind of like you too. I'm going to be honest here, there are many gorgeous women out there. And well, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I could get any one of them." Bella hid her snort with a well-timed cough at this and Cole gave her a look.

"Hey, I'm trying to give a speech here, alright? Anyway, as I was saying, I could get the finest supermodel out there. But my point is, _you_ caught my eye. Not Heidi Klum. Not Tyra Banks. Not Megan Fox. You did."

Bella smiled as she accepted the delicate blossom. "Thank you, Cole. I have to admit, you could have done without mentioning Megan Fox and Tyra Banks. I was a bit worried there for a moment, but you did good. Perhaps I'll hold off on Mr. HottyMcTeacher for a little while longer."

"I would hope so! I'm turning down Heidi Klum for you!" He laughed as Bella slapped his arm playfully. "Anyway, I should probably let you go back to sleep now. I sort of should clean up the rest of the flowers anyway before Rosalie trips over them and decides to do something only she could pull off – murder me with a bunch of pansies."

"Alright, Cole," Bella chuckled, the image forming in her head. "Goodnight."

"'Night, Bella." He left the room and was about to close the door behind him before he peeked his head back in. "Oh, by the way, thanks. Guess I got my own little Victoria's Secret fashion show after all."

"Wha-?" Bella asked. Realization dawned on her when she looked down to see the lacey bra and panty combo she had elected to wear to bed that night.

"Goodnight," Cole winked, narrowly missing the pillow Bella had thrown at him as he shut the door.


End file.
